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| India-Pakistan |
| Pakistan's PPP nominates new PM |
| 2008-03-22 |
| The late Benazir Bhutto's party has named its candidate for prime minister, after winning last month's elections. The Pakistan People's Party nominated ex-Speaker Yusuf Raza Gillani for the post to lead a coalition government with ex-PM Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) party. Analysts say the appointment is widely expected to be a stop-gap measure and Ms Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, may be poised to eventually take over. The coalition is expected to try to curb President Musharraf's powers. Saturday's announcement was the choice of Asif Ali Zardari, the party's effective leader and co-chairman, according to the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad. He may try to become PM in the future, analysts say, but does not have a seat in the National Assembly and could run to become an MP in a by-election within months. Lawmakers are now expected to endorse Mr Gillani, a party leader from southern Punjab, in a special session on Monday. Mr Zardari and his main coalition partner, Mr Sharif, have told the New York Times they are prepared to negotiate with the militants, reflecting a coalition consensus on the need for a comprehensive political approach to Islamist violence. Ms Bhutto's party has been in intense talks over the make-up of a coalition administration since winning the 18 February elections. President Pervez Musharraf, a US ally who came to power as a general in a 1999 coup, suffered heavy losses in the polls and appears increasingly isolated, say analysts. The new coalition government has vowed to reinstate judges sacked by the president during a state of emergency in November. Correspondents say the judges, if restored, could overturn Mr Musharraf's re-election in a parliamentary vote last October, effectively ruling his presidency illegal. Ms Bhutto was assassinated at an election rally in December. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #2 Got himself a pretty good titty grope there, didn't he? |
| Posted by: Fred 2008-03-22 13:26 |
| #1 video clip of the great man in action |
| Posted by: john frum 2008-03-22 12:57 |