Reply #10: Pakistan Opposition Heads for Victory in Anti-Musharraf Vote [View All]

[maddezmom]

Pakistan Opposition Heads for Victory in Anti-Musharraf Vote

By Khalid Qayum and James Rupert

Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Pakistan's opposition parties were poised to sweep nationwide parliamentary elections as President Pervez Musharraf's supporters prepared to concede defeat.

``It seems, according to predictions, that the opposition has won,'' Tariq Azeem, a spokesman for the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam said in a telephone interview from the capital, Islamabad.

Early results from the 64,000 polling booths showed gains for the late Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party and former prime minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, according to three major private TV networks. A two-thirds majority would give the opposition the mandate to press Musharraf to reverse constitutional changes that have kept him in power for nine years.

``Going by the trend the opposition parties will win, if they don't sweep they will at least get the majority,'' Talat Masood, former general and a political and defense analyst, said in a telephone interview from Islamabad. ``Definitely, the results are being delayed and maybe the authorities will try to take advantage of the night but I doubt very much they will be able to manipulate.''

more:http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=agR9zljJ_XpI