# Pakistan election Monday 2/18/08 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 18, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054 "2008-02-18T02:56:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/1 "2008-02-18T02:56:40Z")
Story [here.](http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Pakistan_tense_on_election_eve.html?siteSect=143&sid=8749287&cKey=1203257361000&ty=ti) Amid a climate of extreme political unrest and occasional deadly violence. (They were postponed from January 8 because of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.) Bhutto’s party is unlikely to win a majority, but an alliance with Nawaz Sharif’s party could pose a real challenge to Musharraf – if the votes are counted honestly. If there’s any suspicion to the contrary, more violence? Revolution? See also [Wikipedia.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistani_general_election%2C_2008) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/2 "2008-02-19T05:43:50Z")
Musharraf loses. What does it mean? ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/3 "2008-02-19T05:56:09Z")
I understand in some primitive, backwater “democracies”, the loser can be declared the winner by a “supreme court”, even if he doesn’t get the popular vote. That’s a true fact, you could look it up. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/4 "2008-02-19T12:59:56Z")
According to [TIME](http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1714315,00.html?xid=rss-topstories): > [@](#): > > Musharraf could remain in power if his party forms a coalition with the PPP under Asif Zardari, Bhutto’s widower. But that possibility seem remote. Sharif is less likely to ally himself with his former enemy Musharraf — and more likely to reach an agreement with the PPP. > Pakistani television station Dawn News reported that Sharif already called Zardari offering to form provincial governments in Sindh and Punjab, subject to certain conditions: restoration of the judiciary, the reinstatement of the chief justice and Musharraf’s impeachment. (A two-thirds majority in parliament is needed for impeachment.) “What we need to clean up the mess is to get back to the beginning,” says PPP media coordinator Farahnaz Ispahani. Ultimately both parties share the same goal, she added. “We are like husband and wife. We share love, but we disagree about how to raise the children. We all want to see an independent judiciary.” Musharraf is apparently going to play by the rules (at this point any way) and previous talking heads had questioned how much the military would support him any way. How unstable/stable does Pakistan get if there is a fairly smooth transition of power? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/5 "2008-02-19T13:10:33Z")
**BrainGlutton** , you’re getting back into the habit of posting “town crier” OPs. Where’s the debate? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/6 "2008-02-19T13:46:34Z")
I’m hoping to see a debate by those who know more than I on this. How do the Islamist extremists respond to this? Are either of the two other parties capable of forming a coalition, let alone ruling? How does this effect the stability of Pakistan’s nuclear supply? How about their willingness to cooperate in diminishing the capability of various terror groups? Seems like this election is great debate fodder. I just do not have enough knowledge to have a strong assessment myself. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/7 "2008-02-19T19:23:44Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] **BrainGlutton** , you’re getting back into the habit of posting “town crier” OPs. Where’s the debate? [/QUOTE] The debate is not over the results – I think that was a foregone conclusion – but what happens next. The opposition parties have not merely won a majority in Parliament, they are now [demanding Musharraf step down.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/19/AR2008021900212.html?hpid=topnews) But, by his earlier actions against the Supreme Court justices who opposed him, he has already demonstrated just how determined he is to hang on to power. But he has also pledged to abide by the results of the elections. So – what can he do with a Parliament that is not only in opposition but openly committed to his removal? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/8 "2008-02-19T19:30:50Z")
[QUOTE=DSeid] Are either of the two other parties capable of forming a coalition, let alone ruling? [/QUOTE] Neither the [Pakistan People’s Party](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Peoples_Party) (Bhutto’s) nor the [Pakistan Muslim League](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Muslim_League_%28N%29) (Sharif’s) won a majority, but from the news reports they are dedicated to working together – against Musharraf, that is. Once he’s gone, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/9 "2008-02-20T15:30:38Z")
According to [this,](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/19/AR2008021900212.html?hpid=topnews) secular candidates have ousted religious parties in the northwest. That’s some encouraging news, at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2008, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pakistan-election-monday-2-18-08/438054/10 "2008-02-22T12:48:23Z")
What’s really gotten to me about the election is seeing the headlines referring to Musharraf as a “U.S. Ally”. Doesn’t exactly elicit a swelling of pride.