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Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, facing growing calls to chart a return to Democracy, indicated Wednesday he will quit as army chief if he is re-elected. Eight years after seizing power in a military coup, Mr. Musharaff is due to face re-election before his term ends in mid-November. His opponents want him to shed his uniform now. But as the president's popularity plummets, the key to the country's future might again lie with the military. For more than half of its 60 years, Pakistan has been under military rule. General Pervez Musharraf seized power in 1999 -- the latest in a series of military officers who replaced civilian leaders. But after failing to deliver on a promise to reinstate democratic rule, Mr. Musharaff has grown increasingly unpopular. His approval rating hovers around 35 percent. Opposition lawmaker Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan says the military has always seen itself as guardian of Pakistan's national interests. "And this is one area where the military now feels that they are fast losing grip, they are losing credibility, they are losing respect. And there is only one person who is responsible for that, and that is Pervez Musharraf." Opposition groups have petitioned Pakistan's Supreme Court, disputing the legality of Mr. Musharraf's plan to run for another five-year term while still army chief. A government lawyer told the court Mr. Musharaff will abandon his uniform and govern as a civilian before taking office for a second term. The Pakistani leader historically relied on support from within military ranks for his Presidency. Masood says most Pakistani officers he knows favor free elections and many do not want Mr. Musharraf to run. But as the Pakistani leader continues to chart his own political future, military and civilian opponents may end up disappointed.

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Credits:	Voice of America
URL:	http://www.earbot.com
Tags:	army military musharraf pakistan pakistani pervez president

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