WaPo : Musharraf Pledges to Step Down as Army Chief if Elected

Musharraf Pledges to Step Down as Army Chief if Elected

Move Fails to Appease Pakistani Opposition

By Griff Witte | Washington Post Foreign Service | September 18, 2007

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Sept. 18 -- Gen. Pervez Musharraf's lawyer told the Pakistani Supreme Court on Tuesday that Musharraf would step down from his job as army chief if he is elected to another term as president this fall. But the pledge failed to appease Pakistani opposition leaders, who continued to press for him to leave both posts.

Top aides to Musharraf had been saying for weeks that if he is elected to a new term as president, Musharraf planned to take off his uniform and become a civilian before he is sworn in. Sharifuddin Pirzada, Musharraf's lawyer, made the plan official on Tuesday.

In a hearing before the Supreme Court over whether Musharraf is eligible to run for president, Pirzada told the judges that if the general is elected during the next month, he would retire from the army before Nov. 15, the date on which his current presidential term expires.

Opposition leaders, who have been campaigning for an end to military rule in Pakistan, said they were not satisfied with the concession.

Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's center-left Pakistan People's Party quickly released a statement saying it was "surprised and disappointed" at the news. "The PPP was under the impression that General Musharraf would seek re-election after leaving the post of Army Chief," the party said.

Bhutto has been in negotiations with Musharraf over a possible power-sharing deal and had said publicly last month that she believed the general had agreed to give up his uniform before seeking reelection.

It is unclear where those negotiations stand now, with some claiming a deal is nearly cinched and others saying the talks have stalled.

Mohammad Akram Sheikh, the lead attorney for Musharraf's critics, told judges not to believe the president's promise to step down, noting Musharraf had broken similar pledges in the past.

On Monday, Pakistan's election commission announced a rule change that could allow Musharraf to remain army chief even as he seeks another term as president.

The commission said a key section of the constitution does not apply to presidential elections -- a ruling that drew immediate condemnation from pro-democracy groups and Musharraf's political opponents. They said the panel was supporting Musharraf unfairly, even as the Supreme Court was weighing his eligibility to run for a new term this fall.

The commission, whose members were appointed by Musharraf, said the updated rules reflect recent Supreme Court decisions and denied the change was made specifically to help the president, who is elected by the parliament and provincial assemblies. The commission issues eligibility guidelines before each election.

The commission's decision, and Tuesday's court testimony, threw new variables into a turbulent political situation that appears to be nearing a climax, with Musharraf, a U.S. ally, struggling to hold power as critics call for his ouster. Musharraf, who took control in a 1999 military-led coup, is required to win a new five-year term if he wants to stay on as president. But his popularity has sunk to an all-time low, and opponents question the legality of his plan to win another term from a parliament that is set to expire in less than two months.

The Supreme Court hearing on Musharraf's eligibility began Monday. Lawyers seeking to remove Musharraf's name from the ballot say he should be disqualified because public servants are constitutionally required to resign their government jobs and wait two years before they can run for most political offices, including the presidency. Sheikh, the attorney, said that means Musharraf is ineligible "either in or out of uniform."

But the election commission's interpretation is that the constitutional requirement does not apply because of special exemptions for the president. The commission said the change was made based on Supreme Court decisions in 2002 and 2005. The rules were updated, the commission said, "with the approval of the President."

An organization that promotes democracy in Pakistan questioned whether the commission was pressured by the president. The decision "raises serious doubts about the independence of the Election Commission and its ability to hold free and fair election in Pakistan," according to a statement by the nonprofit Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency.

Bhutto reacted angrily to the rule change. Her party spokeswoman, Sherry Rehman, accused the commission of "changing the goal posts and rules to tilt the field in favor of a military president to prolong his rule."

Beyond the legal arguments, the question of how long Musharraf can stay in uniform has important political implications. Pakistan's hugely influential army is considered Musharraf's strongest constituency, and he is seen as vulnerable if he is not in direct command.

Opposition parties have vowed to resign from parliament in protest if Musharraf tries to win reelection while in uniform. Bhutto, who plans to return to Pakistan on Oct. 18 following eight years in exile, has not said what her party will do if Musharraf does not give up his army post.