Vote rigging fears in Pakistan elections

Voting has begun today in the postponed Pakistan elections after opposition politicians voiced concerns about vote rigging.

Polls opened nationwide at 8am local time (0300 Irish time), amid tight security after a wave of suicide bombings, and are due to close at 5pm (Irish time).

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif yesterday claimed that President Pervez Musharraf was “bent upon rigging the elections” and former Pakistan cricket captain Imran Khan, has said that Mr Musharraf would “cling to power any which way”.

The country is teetering on a knife edge following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) which is the main opposition party.

The elections were due to be held in December but were postponed following Ms Bhutto’s assassination during an election rally in Rawalpindi on December 27.

Since her death, there has been widespread and continuing unrest across large swathes of the country.

Asif Ali Zardari, widower of Ms Bhutto and new leader of the PPP, called for calm on Saturday after a suicide car bombing killed 37 people at an election rally.

The national and provincial elections are supposed to be a landmark in the transition to democracy after eight years of military rule in the country.

Pakistan descended into chaos last year when President Musharraf declared emergency rule and ordered the arrest of thousands of opponents, provoking widespread unrest across the country.

Mr Musharraf has said he is confident that today’s elections would be free and fair.

But several opposition leaders have raised questions over the impartiality of the vote.

Mr Sharif, former Prime Minister and current leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), said: “The atmosphere in this country is not very conducive for any free fair and impartial elections.”

Speaking to BBC1’s The Andrew Marr Show, he claimed: “It’s all stage-managed by Mr Musharraf because he knows that his King’s Party has nothing ... and he’s bent upon rigging the elections.

“The Q-league which is the King’s Party is not a proper party, it’s a group of certain individuals and I think they are going to lose very badly so they are very heavily relying on Mr Musharraf’s rigging plans.”

He said his party could do a deal with the PPP as long as the two parties had a common agenda.

The agenda would include the removal of the military from politics, a restoration of the judiciary and the re-instatement of a free press.

Mr Khan, former Pakistan Cricket Captain turned opposition Politician, told the programme: “All Musharraf wants is to cling to power any which way.”

Mr Khan, who is boycotting the election, said: “This election for him is ’heads I win, tails you lose.’

“He’s going to try and win every, any way he’s going to use and that’s where the problems are going to start.”

Explaining his decision to boycott the vote, he told the programme: “Well simply because 60% of our superior court judges have been sacked.

“The Chief Justice is under house arrest. The Election Commission is not independent, neither is the caretaker government. And the whole administration is working for the government candidates.

“So in such an atmosphere, to fight elections in my opinion would be a waste of time. Because it, these elections are going to cause more problems than solve any. And it’s certainly not going to take us towards democracy.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said: “We want the voice of the people of Pakistan to be heard: free and fair elections are vital for the stability and prosperity of Pakistan.

“Internal Pakistani politics are a matter for Pakistani politicians and the people of Pakistan.

“We support the democratic process in Pakistan, not individual parties or politicians.”

The FCO has revised its travel advice for those in Pakistan during the elections.

The current travel advice reads: “Political tensions related to parliamentary elections rescheduled for 18 February 2008 could give rise to an escalation of violence.”

Visitors are being advised to avoid any demonstrations or large crowds of people.

The country’s 81 million eligible voters will also choose legislatures in Pakistan’s four provinces.