Musharraf Wins a Round in Court = Musharraf can run for another five-year term

[L. Coyote]

Musharraf Wins a Round in Court
Friday, Sep. 28, 2007 By ARYN BAKER/ISLAMABAD
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1666524,00.html


Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled Friday that General Pervez Musharraf can run for another five-year term as President, dismissing three legal challenges brought by opposition parties. The six-to-three decision in favor of the military leader was met with a stunned silence that seemed to suck the air out of the packed courtroom, before a massive chorus of "shame" echoed through the building's marble halls.

Presiding Judge Rana Bhagwandas's announcement that the petitions were "non-maintainable" means that Musharraf will be a candidate on October 6 when the legislature elects a President, despite his remaining in command of the army. (The constitutionality of his continuing to hold both positions had been the basis of the legal challenges to his running for a second term.) Lawyers who only two months ago had been celebrating the Supreme Court justices for standing up to Musharraf by reversing his dismissal of the popular and independent Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry — who did not preside in this case — denounced the ruling as "despicable."

"This was not an independent decision," says Shaukat Siddiqi, a high court lawyer. "The Supreme Court has maintained the legitimacy of the dictatorship."

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[LakeSamish706]

1. Can Musharraf win an election in a fair vote? I seriously am asking...

cause I really have no idea!

[L. Coyote]

2. I suspect he will sweep the election, as the incumbent.