Pakistani parliamentarians have passed a constitutional bill in the National Assembly that gives vast powers to President Pervez Musharraf, including authority to sack the elected government. Thereby making Perv chief of state as well as head of state...
Members belonging to the ruling coalition and a conservative Islamist alliance joined hands on Monday to endorse a set of constitutional amendments that also allow Musharraf to hold the post of army chief for one more year. The bill, approved by 248 of the 342 house members needs to be passed by Pakistan's upper house, or Senate, where the ruling party and the Islamist alliance enjoy the required strength. The opposition, comprising the parties of two former prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, boycotted the voting. The government struck a deal with Islamist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) earlier this month to put the amendments to a vote in parliament, ending a year-long political impasse.
I'm actually surprised the MMA bought off on this. My guess is that they envision a day when the occupant of the presidency is one of them. Though judging by Fazl's waistline in the foto, they'd better buy a bigger chair. And Jamali's even larger...
The deal will be sealed during a vote of confidence on Musharraf, which would keep him in power until 2007. "It will help end uncertainty and bring stability in the country," said Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad. "The vote of confidence on President Musharraf is expected on 1 or 2 January."
And that's greased, so it's just a formality, I'd think...
The main opposition Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) described the passage of the bill as a dark day in the country's history.
That's because it allows the president — whomever he is, post-Perv — to throw crooked administrations out without having to wait for a coup d'etat. It'll be a new experience for Pakland...
"We condemn the indecent haste with which a constitutional amendment of far-reaching implications for democracy and civil society was bulldozed in the National Assembly today," said Farhat Allah Babar, the PPP spokesman.
Ohfergawdsake. They've been arguing about it for a year.
The amendment bill was passed by the assembly in three days. Babar said the military "forcibly rewrote the constitution" with the help of its allies in the Islamist parties. The opposition says the amendments put too much power in the hands of Musharraf and condoning him as president in a military uniform for another year was against the spirit of democracy.
"Democracy" in Pakland is a strange and wonderful beast. It pretty obviously needs some tinkering. I hate to think what'll happen when they get around to trying to introduce the concept of individual liberty, but my great-grandchildren will be long dead by then, hopefully of old age.