Alonzo
07-29-2007, 03:45 AM
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan's embattled president sat down with a major exiled opposition leader in Abu Dhabi, an encounter designed to shore up his power, sources tell CNN.
President Pervez Musharraf huddled with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi on Friday evening, according to a senior government official and a senior associate of Bhutto's powerful Pakistan People's Party.
It was the first meeting between two political rivals since Musharraf took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, even though representatives of both camps have been speaking for months.
Musharraf and Bhutto talked about a power-sharing deal, The Associated Press reported citing local media, but the meeting apparently hit a snag when Bhutto pressed Musharraf to leave the military.
"Our stand is that, and I stick to my stand, that we do not accept President Musharraf in uniform," Bhutto said Saturday, according to The Associated Press.
Musharraf is not only the president, but is also the chief of the army -- a position he has refused to give up.
At least one analyst says that may change as Musharraf's five-year-term as president comes to an end. New parliamentary elections are expected at the end of the year.
"Musharraf would have to cede some power, probably by resigning his powerful post as head of the army, but could remain president while Bhutto becomes prime minister. He could then afford to hold free elections, since an alliance with Bhutto would give him real support in parliament," according to Peter Beinart, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Analysts say that Musharraf is contacting opposition leaders to buttress support for his power because he has been getting weaker politically. The stakes are high for Musharraf and the United States, which is relying on its ally to promote a moderate agenda and fight radical Islamism.
Beinart wrote in the latest edition of Time magazine that if Musharraf "rigs or cancels" such elections, "Pakistan could explode, and he'll have to use brute force to hang on. That could further strengthen the Islamists, who feed on chaos, or prompt another coup, which could put a more anti-American general in charge."
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Beinart writes that a deal between Musharraf and Bhutto -- who has been in self-imposed exile since her last term in office ended in corruption allegations in 1996 -- would be a "better option" for the United States.
He said the alliance would make the "government more accountable" and strengthening "the secular parties that are Pakistan's best long-term bulwark against Islamist rule."
Musharraf stopped by Abu Dhabi for a few hours on his way to Saudi Arabia, sources said. Abu Dhabi is part of the United Arab Emirates.
Musharraf's spokesman denied reports of the meeting, but said the government is open for talks with anyone. Bhutto's party also denied reports of such a meeting.
Pakistan has been rocked by discord along the Afghan-Pakistani border, where Pakistani troops are facing off with militants and in Islamabad during the crisis surrounding Islamabad's Red Mosque.
The mosque, which is owned by the Pakistani government, was the site of a bloody stand-off earlier this month between military forces and Islamic extremists. It ended when security forces stormed the Red Mosque complex to flush out the militants inside, who wanted to impose a Taliban-style rule across the capital.
Nearly 100 people died -- most were radical students holed up inside, but some were women and children as well.
On Friday, the Pakistani government closed the mosque for an indefinite period after a nearby bomb explosion and massive protest, which had broken out following the mosque's re-opening for Friday prayers, the interior ministry said.
At least 13 people were killed and 61 others were wounded in a restaurant bombing targeting police.
The controversy over the status of the country's chief judge, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, hurt Musharraf's standing.
Musharraf suspended Chaudhry in March, an act that sparked protests and a major political face-off. The top court reinstated the judge earlier this month in what was a blow to Musharraf.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/28/bhutto.musharraf/index.html
Bhutto is extremely pragmatic. She even allied herself with the Taliban in Afghanistan because it had suited her politically. I think she has the potential to be a viper who'd leave Musharraf powerless, but it would likely be too dangerous for her to do so at the present time.
President Pervez Musharraf huddled with former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Abu Dhabi on Friday evening, according to a senior government official and a senior associate of Bhutto's powerful Pakistan People's Party.
It was the first meeting between two political rivals since Musharraf took power in a bloodless coup in 1999, even though representatives of both camps have been speaking for months.
Musharraf and Bhutto talked about a power-sharing deal, The Associated Press reported citing local media, but the meeting apparently hit a snag when Bhutto pressed Musharraf to leave the military.
"Our stand is that, and I stick to my stand, that we do not accept President Musharraf in uniform," Bhutto said Saturday, according to The Associated Press.
Musharraf is not only the president, but is also the chief of the army -- a position he has refused to give up.
At least one analyst says that may change as Musharraf's five-year-term as president comes to an end. New parliamentary elections are expected at the end of the year.
"Musharraf would have to cede some power, probably by resigning his powerful post as head of the army, but could remain president while Bhutto becomes prime minister. He could then afford to hold free elections, since an alliance with Bhutto would give him real support in parliament," according to Peter Beinart, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Analysts say that Musharraf is contacting opposition leaders to buttress support for his power because he has been getting weaker politically. The stakes are high for Musharraf and the United States, which is relying on its ally to promote a moderate agenda and fight radical Islamism.
Beinart wrote in the latest edition of Time magazine that if Musharraf "rigs or cancels" such elections, "Pakistan could explode, and he'll have to use brute force to hang on. That could further strengthen the Islamists, who feed on chaos, or prompt another coup, which could put a more anti-American general in charge."
Don't Miss
Pakistan suicide bomb wave warning
13 dead in blast near Red Mosque
Beinart writes that a deal between Musharraf and Bhutto -- who has been in self-imposed exile since her last term in office ended in corruption allegations in 1996 -- would be a "better option" for the United States.
He said the alliance would make the "government more accountable" and strengthening "the secular parties that are Pakistan's best long-term bulwark against Islamist rule."
Musharraf stopped by Abu Dhabi for a few hours on his way to Saudi Arabia, sources said. Abu Dhabi is part of the United Arab Emirates.
Musharraf's spokesman denied reports of the meeting, but said the government is open for talks with anyone. Bhutto's party also denied reports of such a meeting.
Pakistan has been rocked by discord along the Afghan-Pakistani border, where Pakistani troops are facing off with militants and in Islamabad during the crisis surrounding Islamabad's Red Mosque.
The mosque, which is owned by the Pakistani government, was the site of a bloody stand-off earlier this month between military forces and Islamic extremists. It ended when security forces stormed the Red Mosque complex to flush out the militants inside, who wanted to impose a Taliban-style rule across the capital.
Nearly 100 people died -- most were radical students holed up inside, but some were women and children as well.
On Friday, the Pakistani government closed the mosque for an indefinite period after a nearby bomb explosion and massive protest, which had broken out following the mosque's re-opening for Friday prayers, the interior ministry said.
At least 13 people were killed and 61 others were wounded in a restaurant bombing targeting police.
The controversy over the status of the country's chief judge, Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, hurt Musharraf's standing.
Musharraf suspended Chaudhry in March, an act that sparked protests and a major political face-off. The top court reinstated the judge earlier this month in what was a blow to Musharraf.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/28/bhutto.musharraf/index.html
Bhutto is extremely pragmatic. She even allied herself with the Taliban in Afghanistan because it had suited her politically. I think she has the potential to be a viper who'd leave Musharraf powerless, but it would likely be too dangerous for her to do so at the present time.