The widower of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has won the election to be the country’s next president, Pakistani media reported Saturday.
Asif Ali Zardari, 53, had been the front-runner in the race to replace former President Pervez Musharraf, who was forced to resign last month.
“I feel democracy has been vindicated,” Zardari told CNN. ” I feel we are coming closer to her (Benazir Bhutto’s) mission of total democracy in Pakistan and we shall take the oath of office of President in the name of Shahid Benazir Bhutto and that will be a momentous occasion for all the democratic forces in the world.”
The election was not by public vote, but rather by lawmakers in the two houses of the National Assembly and in the four provincial assemblies around the country. Under Pakistan’s constitution, the president is elected by a majority vote.
Just one question… how has democracy been vindicated when it was “lawmakers” that put this guy in office and not a public vote?
In addition, this guy spent 10 years in prison for fraud and was nicknamed “Mr. 10%” because of all the kickbacks he used to take.
I know that Musharraf was not the most democratic guy ever, but one thing he was not was greedy… IIRC, He owns an old army jeep, 1 house, 1 apartment and 3 vacant lots around Islamabad. That’s all.
Contrast that with some of the other prominent Pakistani families in politics….
I do hope this works out tho. Kinda scary place to have it go all crazy on us.
Filed under: Central and South Asia | Tagged: democracy, Elected, Musharraf, pakistan, President, Zardari
That’s a good question, although I have no problem advancing Bhutto’s mission. It is confusing.
What do you think would have happened had their been a vote?