Transition to democracy essential for combating extremism: NYT
By Masood Haider
NEW YORK, Feb 1: A leading US newspaper says that “successfully moving Pakistan from military rule to civilian-run democracy is essential to combating extremism,” and President Musharraf has a major role in making this happen.
In its editorial on Friday, the New York Times said: “Since the political crisis mushroomed last year, Mr Musharraf has worked overtime clinging to power. It’s hard to believe that if he is faced with a tidal wave of popular dissatisfaction, he will let voters choose a parliament that could one day remove him. We hope we are wrong. He has promised world leaders a fair election. If it is rigged, they must hold him accountable.”
Noting that the Musharraf government had unfairly limited election observers, the newspaper said hopes the balloting could be credible were further undermined when the International Republican Institute, the only American group planning to monitor the election, cancelled its plans over concerns about possible suicide bombings and other violence.
It said there were reports that candidates and voters are being intimidated by intelligence officers and local government officials.
Reflecting on President Musharraf’s eight-day European trip, the newspaper said: “Mr Musharraf petulantly lashed out at an influential group of retired officers from Pakistan’s powerful military that had urged him to step down immediately, dismissing them in a Financial Times interview as insignificant personalities.”
“In fact, they are yet another reflection of how the ex-army chief of staff’s popularity has plummeted, even among former fellow officers”.
Saying that “throughout his European tour, Mr Musharraf insisted that he could weather the political turmoil back home that is largely of his own making and ensure free and fair elections for parliament on Feb 18,” the newspaper stressed that “even senior (Bush) administration officials now admit that there are still ‘serious distortions’ in the Pakistani election process and that given the country’s history, some voter fraud is expected. And that’s what they say in public. The classified version can only be worse.”
