Decision to put off poll to Feb. 18 seen as bid by Musharraf to buy time
January 03, 2008
SONYA FATAH
THE TORONTO STAR
KARACHI, Pakistan–Opposition parties denounced a government decision yesterday to postpone elections by six weeks following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto – but they said they will still participate in the vote.
“We condemn the postponement of elections,” said Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutto’s husband and the Pakistan Peoples Party’s new co-chair. “But we will still fight elections … the elections will happen and the people will be successful.”
Citing law and order problems and the destruction of key election materials in the aftermath of last week’s slaying of the former prime minister, Pakistan’s election commission announced yesterday it will delay elections set for next Tuesday until Feb. 18.
The visibly frazzled chief election commissioner Qazi Mohammad Farooq made a hasty exit after the announcement set off a barrage of questions at the commission’s press conference.
Although the commission’s decision was not unexpected, opposition parties had clearly expressed a desire to stick to the original date, fearing a delay would work against them.
Bhutto’s party would expect to reap a considerable sympathy vote following her assassination in a gun and bomb attack as she left a rally in Rawalpindi Dec. 27.
“If Iraq can hold elections, if Afghanistan can hold elections, so can Pakistan,” said Ali Dayan Hasan, South Asia Researcher for Human Rights Watch.
The country’s other prominent political party, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also denounced the decision to postpone the election, but said it would still participate.
By pushing the election forward, the country’s ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam), is looking to buy some time, analysts say.
“The elections have been postponed because there isn’t the will to have elections because of a fear of (President Pervez) Musharraf’s political opponents winning the elections,” said Hasan.
Dozens of people were killed in violence that erupted across Pakistan after Bhutto’s slaying and analysts said a postponement could lead to renewed rioting.
Tension remains high and markets are gripped by fears of capital flight if security worsens.
Farooq said election offices in 11 districts of Sindh, Bhutto’s home province, were burned down in disturbances, destroying transparent ballot boxes, voter screens, voters’ lists and other election materials.
An election official in Sindh said about 11,000 of 97,000 ballot boxes allotted for that province were destroyed.
Musharraf, in a televised address to the nation, said army and paramilitary troops would clamp down on any renewed violence and appealed for national reconciliation.
“The army … will be fully deployed to ensure law and order across the country and for holding elections peacefully,” Musharraf said.
“This is time for national reconciliation and not confrontation.”
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