Pakistan’s president refuses to step down

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC/AP

Musharraf says he will serve out his term despite his party's election defeat

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - President Pervez Musharraf will not step down as head of state and intends to serve out his five-year-term, his spokesman says, despite a sweeping election victory by his opponents — some of whom want to drive him from power.

Final results from this week’s parliamentary poll were expected Wednesday, but with the count nearly complete, two opposition parties had won enough seats to form a new government, though they will likely fall short of the two-thirds needed to impeach the president.

Musharraf’s spokesman Rashid Qureshi said Tuesday the president intends to work with the new government and will serve out his term, which expires in 2012.

“The people on Monday didn’t vote to elect a new president,” he said. “In fact, they participated in the elections to elect the new parliament.”



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23250194/

[LakeSamish706]

1. Wait until the new electorate reinstate the Legal persons that Musharraf....

fired and jailed... That will be some picnic to witness.... Can you spell Impeachment?

[IronLionZion]

2. Oh fuck this

It's important to learn from this and make sure it never happens here in the US. Our votes should count. Bush and Cheney need to be thrown out on their asses.

[Javaman]

3. I don't think anyone could have anticipated this! LOL nt

[seafan]

4. AP: Pakistan President Won't Step Down (DON'T give Bush any ideas....)

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hjZVKZR9FBOXSPU057fCwrWwm4-gD8UU2KM04">Pakistan President Won't Step Down

By ROBERT H. REID
February 20, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan's president will not step down as head of state and intends to serve out his five-year term, his spokesman said, despite a sweeping victory by his opponents in an election that President Bush on Wednesday judged to be fair.
Final results from this week's parliamentary poll were expected later Wednesday, but with the count nearly complete, two opposition parties have won enough seats to form a new government, though they will likely fall short of the two-thirds needed to impeach the president.
The result is seen as a major political setback for Musharraf, a key ally of Washington in fighting Taliban and al-Qaida, whose popularity has plummeted over the past year. The victors were secular political parties; Islamic hard-liners fared badly.

Bush, the Pakistani leader's chief foreign backer, declared Wednesday that the elections were a "victory in the war on terror."
"There were elections held that have been judged as being fair, and the people have spoken," Bush said in Ghana during his current trip to Africa.

.....

Pakistan's new leaders also must decide how to deal with Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and went on to become a key ally in the U.S. war on terror, an unpopular decision in the Muslim nation of 160 million.
Musharraf's spokesman Rashid Qureshi said Tuesday the president intends to work with the new government and will serve out his term that expires in 2012 — rejecting opposition calls for him to resign.

"The people on Monday didn't vote to elect a new president," he said. "In fact, they participated in the elections to elect the new parliament."
But Musharraf's decisions to suspend the constitution, purge the judiciary and round up political opponents sent his approval ratings plummeting, and the sound defeat suffered by the pro-Musharraf party was widely seen as a repudiation of the president.

Sharif, who already has called on the president to resign, said Wednesday: "I think Musharraf should understand that the situation is out of his control."

.....

This is a stunning parallel with George W. Bush's actions in our own country. Both are dictators. And both should be removed from power immediately.

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." ---George W. Bush, December 18, 2000, CNN

[flashl]

5. Musharraf vows not to resign

Source: Guardian UK

President Pervez Musharraf today pledged to complete his five-year term in defiance of opposition demands that he step down, setting the stage for a confrontation with the incoming government.

"We have to move forward in a way that we bring about a stable democratic government to Pakistan," the retired general told the Wall Street Journal, vowing to remain in office until 2012.

Musharraf's authority has been severely weakened by the crushing defeat of his Pakistan Muslim League (Q) party in Monday's general election. With all votes counted the party won just 42 of 268 directly elected seats.

...

The US wants the opposition to work with Musharraf. After meeting the president yesterday, senator Joe Biden, a powerful Washington politician, said the former general appeared resigned to a ceremonial role.

Guardian UK

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/20/pakistan1

[NJCher]

6. Pervy!

Get a grip. Your 15" is over. O-V-E-R!!



Cher

[SpiralHawk]

7. "That's the way I plan to do it, too. Smirk." - Commander AWOL

"If it's good enough for my totalitarian cronies, then it's good enough for me."

- Commander AWOL

[UpInArms]

8. I am just so sick and tired of these creeps

throw the bum's ass to the curb!

[crikkett]

9. And so the fun begins.

:scared:

[tom_paine]

10. Typical Bushie. n/t

[Supersedeas]

14. is Condi breathing a sigh of relief -- democracy in the ME remains a fiction

[rocktivity]

11. Candidate for this month's "You Call This NEWS?" award?

If I didn't know any better, I'd say he'd been taken lessons.

:headbang:
rocknation

[bdamomma]

12. what a sore loser this guy is?

or maybe he is afraid he is going to lose all that money that * promised him

[Hydra]

13. Expect a bloodbath, soon

I have a feeling we'll be slipping help to our puppet, so things are likely to get ugly.

[burythehatchet]

15. You may not realize the horrible effects of that happening.

The Kashmiri forces would use the turmoil as cover to act independently in Kashmir, and a Indo/Pak encounter would be very possible. I'm from the region and have lived through previous skirmishes that didn't bust out into all out war. I hope it doesn't happen now.

[eppur_se_muova]

16. A preview of Jan 2009 ? nt