Word: musharraf
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...another ex-PM agitating to return from exile. Given her glamorous political pedigree (her father, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was also a former leader, who was executed by the army), her supporters worship her as practically royalty. But her critics see her as too ready to compromise principles. As for Musharraf, he was once regarded by both Pakistanis and those in other nations as a stern but progressive-minded leader; many in the West thought him a stalwart ally in the global war on terror. Today, he is under siege, increasingly viewed as a dictator who refuses to surrender power...
...Musharraf has become so vulnerable that even an opposition figure who has long been absent poses a serious threat. Now in exile in Jeddah, where Saudi authorities have him under virtual house arrest, the 57-year-old Sharif continues to haunt Musharraf, 64. His return to Pakistan, though brief, has effectively changed the country's power equation. In the immediate aftermath of Sharif's deportation, public reaction was muted. But there is a growing sense of a nation spoiling for a fight. The day after Sharif's failed comeback from exile, his political party, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PMLN...
...Musharraf's woes go beyond Sharif. Support in both the army he leads and the political party he founded, the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), is hemorrhaging over a proposed power-sharing deal with Bhutto. It would require Musharraf to shed his uniform, drop corruption charges against Bhutto, which have kept her in exile since 1999, and do away with the constitutional amendment that allows the President to dissolve Parliament. Musharraf would get the backing of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party to stay as President, while she gets a shot at being Prime Minister. But the deal has stalled...
...change were to come in Pakistan, how would it happen? Musharraf's current tenure ends on Nov. 15. To have another go at the presidency, he will need to be elected before then for a second five-year term by the sitting national and provincial assemblies, before they are dissolved for parliamentary polls that can be held as late as January 2008. But the Supreme Court can block Musharraf's bid to remain in power by enforcing a constitutional ban on elected officials from holding military rank. (Retired soldiers must wait two years before standing for office.) Musharraf previously...
...Musharraf also risks Bhutto turning on him. The re-emergence of Sharif, just as her own popularity crumbles over her dealings with a loathed general, has cast a shadow upon her own return, now scheduled to be announced this week. If the talks fail, Bhutto has said she will embark on her own comeback tour. Her reputation as a tireless crusader for democracy, however, has been tainted by associating with Musharraf. At the same time, she may be forced into a partnership with the President just to save her political career. "It's a damned-if-you-do and damned...