PAKISTAN: US prods Musharraf to share power
Updated
Reports from the United States say Washington is pushing Pakistan's military leader and President, Pervez Musharraf to enter a power-sharing arrangement with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The reports come as Ms Bhutto puts the case for her return to Pakistan from exile. Addressing the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Ms Bhutto urged President Musharraf to fulfil promises she says he has made about upcoming elections by the end of the month.
Presenter: Nasya Bahfen
Speakers: Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister and leader of Pakistan People's Party; Mohamad Waseem, Professor from the Lahore University of Management Sciences
BAHFEN: The former prime minister says her Pakistan People's Party has been talking to General Musharraf for almost a year about possible power-sharing measures. In July Ms Bhutto and General Musharraf met in Abu Dhabi to discuss a possible alliance. General Musharraf's popularity has dropped, and his political wooing of the popular Ms Bhutto is seen as an attempt to hold on to power. Ms Bhutto says nothing concrete has come out of commitments she says General Musharraf has made.
BHUTTO: At the moment the situation is this, that we have been having a negotiation for almost a year and while there has been agreement on several issues and where General (Pervez) Musharraf has committed to taking certain confidence building measures those haven't been taken so my party is asking that is it just the talk or is it going to turn into a walk?
BAHFEN: Ms Bhutto served twice as prime minister. She left Pakistan in 1999 to avoid corruption charges. Ms Bhutto says she'd like to see a commitment from General Musharraf in the next few weeks before her party makes a decision on whether to form a coalition with the military ruler.
BHUTTO: General Musharraf's committed himself to to Pakistan following a moderate path. So, to that extent if we could get the moderate forces to work together for a transition to democracy. I think in the present circumstances it would be helpful. At least that's the decision my party took and that's why we have been involved in these negotiations.
BAHFEN: She did not explain what promises were made but her party has demanded that General Musharraf take off his uniform and relinquish control of the army. She concedes that an alliance with General Musharraf might hurt her politically. Professor Mohamad Waseem from the Lahore University of Management Sciences says neither Ms Bhutto nor General Musharraf are 100 per cent comfortable with each other.
WASEEM: What she's doing is putting pressure on Musharraf, Musharraf moves ahead conceding some points. And then Bhutto comes out in public giving a statement that yes we'd like to work with Musharraf. Both are cautiously treading towards an agreement, both are probably distrustful of each other.
BAHFEN: General Musharraf has been one of the United States' strongest allies in the region. And Ms Bhutto has called on Washington to make its military and financial support to Islamabad conditional on a return to democracy.
BHUTTO: I would very much like to see the United States link its support, its financial and military assistance, to Pakistan to the restoration of democracy to holding of elections that are free, fair and impartial and open to all political parties. But for me, the restoration of democracy is only the first step
BAHFEN: General Musharraf seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, deposing another former Prime Minister now living in exile, Nawaz Sharif. He recently said elections would be held later this year but he wants Ms Bhutto, along with Mr Sharif, to stay away from Pakistan in the run-up to the polls.
