Musharraf Says He’ll Lift Emergency by Mid-December

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The New York Sun

ISLAMABAD — President Musharraf embarked on a new five-year term as a civilian president today, promising to lift a state of emergency by December 16 and restore the constitution before January elections, a key demand of his domestic opponents and foreign backers.

In a televised speech hours after taking the oath of office, Mr. Musharraf also urged two former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif — his two rivals for power who recently returned from exile — not to boycott the January 8 parliamentary elections.

He said “a level playing field” has been given to their parties, and they and others should “participate fully.”

However, he struck an uncompromising tone when insisting that the elections would go on without them, if necessary. “No one will be allowed to destabilize this democratic process or to create hurdles in its way,” he said.

“I am determined to lift the emergency by December 16,” Mr. Musharraf said as he addressed the nation, seated between a portrait of Pakistan’s founding father, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, and a green-and-white national flag. “The elections, God willing, will be held free and transparent under the constitution.”

Mr. Musharraf imposed emergency rule November 3, casting Pakistan into a deep crisis that raised Western fears for the stability of a nuclear-armed country struggling to turn a rising tide of Islamic militancy.

But having purged the Supreme Court of judges who might have blocked his plan to continue as president, the American-backed leader has moved quickly to ease a wave of repression that saw thousands of opponents jailed and all independent news channels gagged.

The inauguration ceremony came a day after he ended a four-decade military career as part of his long-delayed pledge not to serve as both president and army chief. The post enabled him to topple Mr. Sharif in a 1999 coup and hold on to power for nine years.

Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar administered the oath to a solemn-looking Mr. Musharraf, dressed in long black tunic adorned only with a pin of Pakistan’s flag.

“This is a milestone in the transition of Pakistan to the complete essence of democracy,” Mr. Musharraf told an audience of government officials, foreign diplomats, and military generals at the state palace in Islamabad.

Neither Ms. Bhutto nor Mr. Sharif was present at the ceremony, and it remained unclear whether the changeover would defuse the threat of an election boycott. Such a move would undercut Mr. Musharraf’s effort to legitimize his rule through a democratic ballot.

A day after blinking back tears as he ended his military career, Mr. Musharraf appeared to be back to his usual bullish self.

“Anyone who is talking of any boycotts should hear this out: Come hell or high water, elections will be held on January 8. Nobody derails it.”

Opposition politicians had urged Mr. Musharraf to lift emergency rule, restore the constitution and reverse his decision to oust Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry and other independent-minded judges.

During his inaugural speech, Mr. Musharraf sought to justify the state of emergency, during which he purged the Supreme Court just as it was about to issue a verdict on the legality of his continued rule. The retooled court last week gave its stamp of approval.

He also lashed out at Western diplomats, giving them a stinging rebuttal of their criticisms.

“I personally feel that there is an unrealistic and maybe an impractical or impracticable obsession with your form of democracy, with your form of human rights, civil liberties,” Mr. Musharraf said, claiming to speak for developing countries everywhere.

Pakistan wanted to attain those goals, but would need time and support to reach standards that others had built over centuries, he said.

“We will do it our way as we understand our society, our environment better than anyone in the West,” he said.


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