ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: The International Crisis Group (ICG) has said that President Pervez Musharraf has been unilaterally instituting political and constitutional changes intended to ensure that generals retain the real power after the Oct 10 elections.

In a latest report titled “Pakistan: Democracy needed not more military rule”, the highly-reputed international group has noted that the Musharraf government is following the pattern of the country’s previous military rulers of carrying out constitutional changes intended to ensure that “the generals retain the real power and any democratic transition falters before it begins.”

The report says both the military and the political elite are to blame for the failure of the country to develop democratic governments.

“Musharraf’s roadmap to democracy is in reality a blueprint for more military rule,” it says, adding that if the constitutional reforms become the law of the land, any democratic transition will falter before it has started.

The group is of the view that the military government’s constitutional and political reforms will radically transform the country’s parliamentary system, tilting the balance of power from elected representatives and democratic institutions to unelected leaders and organizations.

The report remarks that the powers given to president to dissolve the National Assembly is the negation of the principal of parliamentary sovereignty.

It further says that political role of the armed forces will be sanctified through establishment of the National Security Council. “Chaired by the president, this military dominated, supra-parliamentary body will oversee the conduct of elected governments and the functioning of representative institutions.”

The assumption of powers by President Musharraf to dissolve the future parliament has been interpreted by the ICG as a threat to future elected members. Gen Musharraf, the report says, has warned future parliamentarians of the choice before them; to either accept his constitutional engineering or lose their jobs.

The group recalls that the Supreme Court validated the October 1999 coup and gave the military ruler the mandate to amend the constitution but only within the framework of federal, parliamentary democracy.

It observes that subsequent forced resignations, selective appointments, and inducements have, however, subordinated the judiciary to the executive.

In its recommendations, the report has called upon the government to withdraw the proposal to form a National Security Council and other constitutional amendments that undermine the 1973 constitution’s federal, parliamentary and democratic structure in order to forestall confrontation with the political elite and thereby, to safeguard the true interests of the armed forces.

It asks the political parties to issue a joint public declaration that they will not validate constitutional amendments in parliament that violate the structure of government contained in the constitution.

It also calls upon the international community to make clear that it will not be acceptable internationally for the military to retain power indefinitely, whether directly or behind a democratic facade and strongly encourage it instead to withdraw those constitutional amendments that have the potential of stalling the democratic transition.

The report also calls for giving due weight to the findings of officials and non-governmental elections observers, including the European Union team, in formulating political and economic policies toward Pakistan after the elections.