WORLD

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Gen.
Pervez Musharraf won an overwhelming
majority in a presidential election
boycotted by nearly the entire opposition
Saturday, and attention shifted
to Supreme Court deliberations on
whether he can claim victory.
Opposition parties that snubbed the
vote claimed it was undemocratic and
unconstitutional for the U.S.-backed
general, who seized power in a 1999
coup, to run while still army chief.
In total, Musharraf won 671 votes,
while the retired judge who was his
main rival received just eight.
Musharraf’s key international
backer, the United States, gave an
upbeat response on the conduct of the
election, although the State Department
stressed that the results were
unofficial until the court verdict.
Musharraf’s popularity has plummeted
since a failed bid to oust the
country’s top judge in March and is
struggling to contain a surge in Islamic
militancy. He has promised to give up
his powerful army post if he wins the
election and restores civilian rule.
Speculation persists that if Musharraf
is blocked, he might declare
martial law, and the army chief
appeared annoyed when asked if he
would step down as president if the
Supreme Court ruled against him.
“Let the decision come and then
we will decide,” he said.