Cracks appear in Pakistan's pro-Musharraf coalition

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

ISLAMABAD, June 21 (Reuters) - Some political allies of Pakistan's military president, Pervez Musharraf, are urging him to drop plans to be re-elected by the sitting parliament and instead call early polls and seek a mandate from new assemblies.

They also say General Musharraf, who is facing a growing crisis over his attempt to dismiss Pakistan's top judge, should quit as army chief before his re-election, as he is supposed to give up the post by the end of 2007 under the constitution.

With a general election due by the turn of the year, Western governments are closely following the fate of Musharraf, who became a key U.S. ally after al Qaeda's 2001 attacks.

Musharraf plans to seek his own re-election in September or October from the national and provincial assemblies before they are dissolved for the general election, though the opposition is expected to mount constitutional challenges.

Kabir Ali Wasti, a vice president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML), in a rare public display of dissent within the ruling coalition, predicted a deepening crisis if Musharraf stuck to that plan.

Read more: http://wap.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL155313.htm

[Mojorabbit]

1. This country's situation

makes me more nervous than any other.

[Javaman]

2. I'm predicting something big in that country before the summer is out nt