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Musharraf pleads for unity after vote
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
ISLAMABAD , Pakistan Pakistan
But fear and apathy kept millions at home, raising the prospect of no clear winner and a government too fragmented to rally the nation against Islamic extremists.
Vote counting began soon after the polls closed at5 p.m. , and results started trickling in. Private television stations reported strong showings by the two main opposition parties in early unofficial tallies, although final official results were not expected before Wednesday.
Balloting proceeded without major attacks, although the opposition party of assassinated ex-prime minister Benzir Bhutto claimed that 15 of its members had been killed and hundreds injured in scattered violence "deliberately engineered to deter voters."
Officials confirmed 24 deaths in election-related violence over the previous 24 hours, mostly in the country's biggestprovince of Punjab
President Pervez Musharraf was not on the ballot, but the election was widely seen as a referendum on his eight-year rule — including his alliance with theUnited States
Musharraf's approval ratings have plummeted since his declaration of emergency rule in November and his purge of the judiciary to safeguard his re-election by the previous parliament a few weeks earlier.
Going into the election, two public opinion surveys predicted Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party would finish first, followed by the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The pro-MusharrafPakistan
An overwhelming victory by the opposition could leave Musharraf politically weakened at a time when theUnited States Pakistan
With his political future in the balance, Musharraf pledged to work with the new government regardless of which party wins.
"I will give them full cooperation as president, whatever is my role," Musharraf said after casting his ballot inRawalpindi Pakistan
The state news agency reported unofficial returns gave the first two parliament seats to Bhutto's party, and partial results carried by private TV networks also suggested a strong performance by Sharif's opposition party.
In the north, prominent pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman was trailing far behind his rival from Bhutto's party with more than half the precincts in their district reporting.
"I'm very happy, but we have to struggle," said Sadiq ul-Farooq, a senior official in Sharif's party. "We face serious problems — the economy, law and order and then the problem of terrorism, which is 70 percent because of President Musharraf. He has to go."
The U.S. government, Musharraf's strongest international backer, was anxious for a credible election to shore up democratic forces at a time of mounting concern over political unrest in this nuclear-armed nation and a growing al-Qaida and Taliban presence in the northwest.
"Every single vote must be counted fairly, and the numbers must be transmitted so decisions can be made," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat who was one of several American lawmakers monitoring the election.
Lee said that an "effective government for the people ofPakistan America
Despite the stakes, it appeared most of the country's 81 million voters stayed home — either out of fear of extremist attacks or lack of enthusiasm for the candidates, many of whom waged lackluster campaigns.
Sarwar Bari of the nonprofit Free and Fair Elections Network said reports from his group's 20,000 election observers indicated voter turnout was about 35 percent. That would be the same as in the 1997 election — the lowest inPakistan
Ayaz Baig, the election commissioner inPakistan Punjab , estimated turnout there at 30 percent to 40 percent — slightly lower than in the 2002 election. In Baluchistan and Sindh provinces, turnout was estimated at about 35 percent, officials said.
InLahore
Bhutto's party had hoped to ride a public wave of sympathy after the former prime minister was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack Dec. 27 inRawalpindi
But Bhutto's assassination forced candidates to curtail public rallies due to security concerns, and the death of the country's most charismatic figure appeared to drain much of the excitement from the campaign.
"I was already disillusioned with politics and it only deepened after the death of Ms. Bhutto," said housewife Rifat Ashraf, who was relaxing at a park in the eastern city ofLahore
With turnout so low, it was unclear whether the ruling party machinery was more successful in getting its supporters to the polls, especially inPunjab , its political base.
Opposition officials warned the government against trying to manipulate the results during the laborious count, saying there could be street protests if the count was rigged.
"People came out today and they voted for us. But we are hearing that their votes will be stolen after darkness, and we will not tolerate it," opposition politician Shahbaz Sharif said on Geo television. "Those who want to rob our votes should listen that we will not allow them to do it."
Opposition parties and analysts said local authorities used state resources to back ruling party candidates — charges that were denied by the government, which promised a free and fair vote.
Police arrested an election official after 600 ballot papers went missing from a polling station in the southern city ofShikarpur
While fears of attack deterred some voters, sympathy for Bhutto and disaffection over rising food prices compelled others to take the risk and go to the polls.
"My vote is for the PPP," said Munir Ahmed Tariq, a retired police officer in Nawab Shah. "If there is rigging this time, there will be a severe reaction. This is a sentiment of this nation."
In the remote border region of Bajur, a possible hiding place of Osama bin Laden and his top deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, hundreds of Pashtun tribesmen turned out at a polling place inside a government college, and dismissed the threat of attack.
"We are not afraid of the situation. Death comes only once," said farmer Amanat Shah.
A nearby, segregated polling station for women, was empty — a reflection of conservative attitudes inPakistan
By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 11 minutes ago
But fear and apathy kept millions at home, raising the prospect of no clear winner and a government too fragmented to rally the nation against Islamic extremists.
Vote counting began soon after the polls closed at
Balloting proceeded without major attacks, although the opposition party of assassinated ex-prime minister Benzir Bhutto claimed that 15 of its members had been killed and hundreds injured in scattered violence "deliberately engineered to deter voters."
Officials confirmed 24 deaths in election-related violence over the previous 24 hours, mostly in the country's biggest
President Pervez Musharraf was not on the ballot, but the election was widely seen as a referendum on his eight-year rule — including his alliance with the
Musharraf's approval ratings have plummeted since his declaration of emergency rule in November and his purge of the judiciary to safeguard his re-election by the previous parliament a few weeks earlier.
Going into the election, two public opinion surveys predicted Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party would finish first, followed by the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The pro-Musharraf
An overwhelming victory by the opposition could leave Musharraf politically weakened at a time when the
With his political future in the balance, Musharraf pledged to work with the new government regardless of which party wins.
"I will give them full cooperation as president, whatever is my role," Musharraf said after casting his ballot in
The state news agency reported unofficial returns gave the first two parliament seats to Bhutto's party, and partial results carried by private TV networks also suggested a strong performance by Sharif's opposition party.
In the north, prominent pro-Taliban cleric Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman was trailing far behind his rival from Bhutto's party with more than half the precincts in their district reporting.
"I'm very happy, but we have to struggle," said Sadiq ul-Farooq, a senior official in Sharif's party. "We face serious problems — the economy, law and order and then the problem of terrorism, which is 70 percent because of President Musharraf. He has to go."
The U.S. government, Musharraf's strongest international backer, was anxious for a credible election to shore up democratic forces at a time of mounting concern over political unrest in this nuclear-armed nation and a growing al-Qaida and Taliban presence in the northwest.
"Every single vote must be counted fairly, and the numbers must be transmitted so decisions can be made," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat who was one of several American lawmakers monitoring the election.
Lee said that an "effective government for the people of
Despite the stakes, it appeared most of the country's 81 million voters stayed home — either out of fear of extremist attacks or lack of enthusiasm for the candidates, many of whom waged lackluster campaigns.
Sarwar Bari of the nonprofit Free and Fair Elections Network said reports from his group's 20,000 election observers indicated voter turnout was about 35 percent. That would be the same as in the 1997 election — the lowest in
Ayaz Baig, the election commissioner in
In
Bhutto's party had hoped to ride a public wave of sympathy after the former prime minister was killed in a gun and suicide bomb attack Dec. 27 in
But Bhutto's assassination forced candidates to curtail public rallies due to security concerns, and the death of the country's most charismatic figure appeared to drain much of the excitement from the campaign.
"I was already disillusioned with politics and it only deepened after the death of Ms. Bhutto," said housewife Rifat Ashraf, who was relaxing at a park in the eastern city of
With turnout so low, it was unclear whether the ruling party machinery was more successful in getting its supporters to the polls, especially in
Opposition officials warned the government against trying to manipulate the results during the laborious count, saying there could be street protests if the count was rigged.
"People came out today and they voted for us. But we are hearing that their votes will be stolen after darkness, and we will not tolerate it," opposition politician Shahbaz Sharif said on Geo television. "Those who want to rob our votes should listen that we will not allow them to do it."
Opposition parties and analysts said local authorities used state resources to back ruling party candidates — charges that were denied by the government, which promised a free and fair vote.
Police arrested an election official after 600 ballot papers went missing from a polling station in the southern city of
While fears of attack deterred some voters, sympathy for Bhutto and disaffection over rising food prices compelled others to take the risk and go to the polls.
"My vote is for the PPP," said Munir Ahmed Tariq, a retired police officer in Nawab Shah. "If there is rigging this time, there will be a severe reaction. This is a sentiment of this nation."
In the remote border region of Bajur, a possible hiding place of Osama bin Laden and his top deputy Ayman al-Zawahri, hundreds of Pashtun tribesmen turned out at a polling place inside a government college, and dismissed the threat of attack.
"We are not afraid of the situation. Death comes only once," said farmer Amanat Shah.
A nearby, segregated polling station for women, was empty — a reflection of conservative attitudes in
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