WorldPeace - "Pakistan polls reflect growing anti-American sentiment" by John WorldPeace on daily press photos

Radical Islamic parties virulently opposed to Pakistan's support for the US-led war on terror were making a strong early showing today in the country's first general elections after three years of military rule. The elections have been marred by allegations against the military regime of pre-election poll rigging, and turnout after a lacklustre campaign was around 36 per cent, the official news agency APP said. (AFP photo)...

After destabilizing Afghanistan, little George has pushed Pakistan to a harder line against America.

At a time when the world needs to work for peace, little George is making enemies of America all over the world.

To destabilize Iraq is to destabilize the entire Middle East. It is the same as throwing a match into a powder keg. It is not only irresponsible but it is also criminal.

ISLAMABAD: In a major setback to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a hardline Islamic six-party alliance, won majority in North West Frontier (NWFP) Provincial Assembly.

For the National Assemblytrends indicate a hung Parliament with Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) set to emerge the single largest party. Against all pre-poll projections, the MMA consisting of pro-Taliban and anti-American religious parties was all set to form the government in the NWFP, which borders Afghanistan, with the alliance projected to win 50 of the 99 seats for which elections were held on Thursday.

This was the first major electoral gain for the Islamic religious parties in the history of Pakistan, and its good showing has serious strategic implications for the US-led operations against Taliban and al-Qaeda fugitives hiding in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

The MMA has also emerged stronger by winning 13 seats in the National Assembly and poll trends show it could win up to 37 seats in the Assembly, making it a strong party.

According to projections, the PPPP, backed by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was in close race with Pakistan Muslim League (Qaide Azam), backed by Musharraf.

PPPP is leading in 27, PMl-Q in 28, MMA in 37 and PML-N lead by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif in five seats.

According to declared results PPPP has won eight seats, PML-N three and MMA 13. The poll trends in Pakistan signal a mandate against President Pervez Musharraf. Despite the limited nature of the electorate, rigging and turnout, it has been a vote against the General. The Benazir's PPPP is emerging as the single-largest party while in the North West Frontier Province, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal -- a hardline Islamic six-party alliance -- has emerged victorious.

That the people of Pakistan don't care about democracy or dictatorship was made clear when Musharraf enjoyed maximum goodwill after ousting Nawaz Sharif.

However, the astute General's stock dipped once the rigged referendum placed an astounding 98 per cent approval rating for him. Indeed, Musharraf, a past-master in tactical turnabouts, has not been able to provide a clear and distinct vision to the country.

Pakistanis abhor yet another dictator masquerading as a penny-pinching politician. They want a leader who can deliver, modernise and provide an economic vision. Musharraf has failed on all these counts.

RADICAL Islamic parties virulently opposed to Pakistan's support for the US-led war on terror were making a strong early showing today in the country's first general elections after three years of military rule.

First unofficial results at 0030 GMT (1030 AEST) gave the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), or United Action Front, 10 of the 272 contested seats in the national assembly, compared to just four in 1997.

The six-party alliance is unlikely to challenge the mainstream parties, and a clear overall picture was not expected to emerge until later today, but analysts said the MMA could hold the balance of power in a future parliament.

The elections have been marred by allegations against the military regime of pre-election poll rigging, and turnout after a lacklustre campaign was around 36 per cent, the official news agency APP said.

While fears of attacks did not materialise, seven people - all of them party supporters - were killed and dozens injured in poll-related clashes in the south of the country.

The MMA success - mainly in the northwest close to the Afghan border - indicates widespread unease over President Pervez Musharraf's pro-US policy and his crackdown on Islamic militants.

Seven of the MMA seats were in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), which sends 35 representatives to parliament. Three were in central Punjab province, one in Islamabad.

"People wanted change from the past corrupt rulers and the pro-US policies of General Musharraf," said Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the head of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), a member of the MMA.

"The widespread anti-American feeling among the people has clearly gone in our favour and we are very happy over it," Ahmed, who won his seat in NWFP, told AFP.

The opposition Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto won six seats from Punjab and southern Sindh province, while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif snared three seats from Punjab.

The pro-government Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) - which opponents call the King's party because of its support for Musharraf - won five seats in Punjab. Independents took four seats.

"This is not a result that President Musharraf would like to hear," Mohammad Afzal Niazi, a political analyst from Lahore, told AFP.

"It also means that the MMA, apart from controlling the NWFP, will also hold the balance of power in the national assembly. This will force any government formed to cut back on Pakistan's support for the war on terror."

The lengthy counting procedure inched on through the night in Pakistan's four provinces with barely 10 per cent of seats declared, while a picture of national trends was not expected until later today.

Police sources in Punjab said the PPPP was emerging as the leading party in the provincial capital Lahore, closely followed by the PML-N and the MMA.

The elections have been promised by Musharraf since he led a bloodless coup in October 1999. He pledged a series of reforms to establish "real democracy" after 11 years of what he termed "sham democracy" under Bhutto and Sharif.

The polls for a 342-seat national assembly - in which dozens of seats are set aside for women, minorities and tribesmen - and four provincial assemblies have been widely attacked as designed to produce a pliant parliament, which Musharraf maintains the power to dismiss.

The prime minister will be decided by the party or parties who can claim a majority of national assembly seats.

Some 72 million of Pakistan's 145 million people, including 5.2 million 18 to 21-year-olds given voting rights for the first time, were eligible to vote.

About 300 foreign observers monitored Pakistan's eighth legislative elections, contested by more than 7,000 candidates including 2,788 independents.

As he cast his ballot near his official Army House residence in Rawalpindi yesterday, Musharraf reiterated he would hand over power to the future Prime Minister in early November.

How can we manifest peace on earth if we do not include everyone (all races, all nations, all religions, both sexes) in our vision of Peace?