World | Pakistan
America embraces civilian president
The United States said on Thursday it looked forward to working with a new government with Pervez Musharraf as civilian president, despite indications that election winners might seek to force him out.
- Reuters
- Published: 01:22 February 22, 2008
Brussels: The United States said on Thursday it looked forward to working with a new government with Pervez Musharraf as civilian president, despite indications that election winners might seek to force him out.
Speaking during a visit to Brussels, US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher said Pakistan had made a successful democratic transition and made clear Washington would prefer to see Musharraf stay in place.
"We look forward to working with whoever emerges as prime minister, we look forward to working with President Musharraf in his new role," Boucher told a news conference.
The leaders of the two parties that came out on top in the election on Monday were to meet yesterday to discuss forming a coalition that could force Musharraf out.
Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister Musharraf overthrew in a 1999 military coup and whose party came second in the election, goes into the coalition talks having made clear he would like to drive the president from power.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated on December 27, emerged as the main victor in the poll. It says it will be up to parliament to decide which president it could work with.
President George W. Bush on Wednesday called the elections a victory for the people, and said he hoped the newly elected officials would be friends of the United States.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters travelling with Bush to Liberia the president had telephoned Musharraf on Tuesday on flight from Rwanda to Ghana. She gave no further details of what the two men discussed.
Asked whether the US would persuade Musharraf to step down if the opposition were to demand that, Boucher said: "Let us not speculate at this point. Let's let them get together, form a government, decide what their programme is and we look forward to working with them."
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