NEW YORK, Oct 10: Stressing that “the last thing the US wants is to further destabilise a nuclear-armed (Pakistan) government threatened by Muslim extremists”, the Wall Street Journal said in an editorial on Wednesday that (President Pervez) Musharraf was moving in the right direction, and the US could help to keep him moving.

The financial daily observed: “The next stage in the political transition rests with the Supreme Court, which has yet to rule on the constitutionality of the presidential election.”

The paper observed that the court in its ruling said the election could go forward but postponed verdict on Mr. Musharraf’s eligibility for presidential office until after the vote. The WSJ stressed: “If the judges invalidate his victory, the political upheaval could be messy.”

“A better outcome would be to allow the election to stand in exchange for conditions that ensure Mr. Musharraf will follow through on his promise for civilian rule.

“In any case, the essential next test for Mr. Musharraf is whether he will give up his military commission. He’s reneged on this pledge in the past. One indication that he means it this time is that he’s already named his successor, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, a close ally who is friendly to the West,” the newspaper said.

“There are still hurdles on the road to democracy, but the trend is encouraging. Mr. Musharraf’s recent moves come after a series of political missteps earlier this year. His firing of the Supreme Court chief justice (who was later reinstated) angered the country’s middle class, emboldened religious extremists and weakened his grip on power”.

The paper said: “As his popularity slid, Mr. Musharraf was faced with two choices: consolidating his power through martial law, or a democratic transition, which offers the hope of a more stable political base. He chose the latter, at the risk of alienating his own party, the Muslim League (Q) and, more important, the ever-powerful army. In the run-up to Saturday’s presidential vote, Mr. Musharraf courted moderates even as the opposition parties threatened a boycott. He corralled the religious vote, too: In the North-West Frontier Province, he persuaded the ruling local coalition of Islamic parties to back him. He won despite a wholesale abstention by Ms. Bhutto’s People’s Party.”

Writing about power-sharing deal, it said: “Mr. Musharraf has also taken steps to assure Ms. Bhutto that he’s serious about a power-sharing deal after parliamentary elections early next year. He signed an amnesty last week, dropping the corruption charges against her and paving the way for her return later this month to Karachi, where she plans to stand for election. There’s also self-interest at work here: Ms. Bhutto’s political rival, Nawaz Sharif, is also seen as a stronger rival to Mr. Musharraf. Still exiled in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Sharif isn’t being offered a deal.”