US backing for Musharraf-Bhutto partnership in Pakistan gaining ground: NYT

The Bush Administration is reported to be quietly prodding Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to share authority with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to ensure that he remains in office during the ongoing global war on terror, and achieves a broadening of his political base, which has taken a major hit in recent times.

Washington, Aug.16 : The Bush Administration is reported to be quietly prodding Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to share authority with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto to ensure that he remains in office during the ongoing global war on terror, and achieves a broadening of his political base, which has taken a major hit in recent times.

According to the New York Times, American and Pakistani officials are supporting the idea that an alliance with Benazir Bhutto, would be Musharraf's best chance of remaining president.

Though neither has admitted to their an unannounced meeting in Abu Dhabi on July 27, American officials say a power-sharing agreement that might install Bhutto as prime minister could help defuse a confrontation in which Musharraf has already flirted with invoking emergency powers.

Administration officials have said they fear that Musharraf could eventually be toppled and replaced by a leader who might be less reliable as a guardian of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and as an ally against terrorism.

Even if Musharraf were to insist on remaining as the country's military leader, American officials say that sharing power could bring a more democratic spirit to Pakistan, which has been a quasi-military dictatorship since 1999.

Washington, according to the paper, is worried that any diminution of Musharraf's power could only complicate American counter-terrorism efforts at a time when Al Qaeda is believed to be rebuilding in Pakistan's tribal areas. They also say that Ms. Bhutto's return could fuel Pakistani nationalism and kindle new calls for Pakistan to distance itself from Washington.

Bhutto has been holding talks in recent weeks with senior Bush administration officials, including Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, with whom she met privately late last week. Administration officials have taken pains not to endorse a power-sharing agreement publicly, so as not to seem as if the United States is trying to influence Pakistani politics.

But the paper says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice did discuss the idea of a power-sharing arrangement when she called Musharraf last week in Pakistan to warn him not to declare an emergency.

American officials say that the complexity of Pakistani politics makes it difficult to predict what shape a political deal could take. But a first step could be a decision by Musharraf to allow open parliamentary elections next month, because Bhutto's party (Pakistan People's Party) now appears poised to win the largest share of the vote.

The paper says that a victory by her party could pave the way for Bhutto to become prime minister, but she would probably need Musharraf's support to overcome further obstacles, including a law prohibiting former prime ministers from returning to that office.

In turn, Bhutto's support could be crucial to helping Musharraf to victory in subsequent presidential elections that would allow him to stay in his current job.

In an interview with The New York Times on Monday, Bhutto said she was aware that an alliance with the now-weakened Musharraf could hurt her politically.

"We want to avoid a situation where we are seen as bailing out an unpopular military dictatorship," said Bhutto.

"When we are doing this for a level playing field, when we're doing this for a higher cause, which is the restoration of the people's right to elect a government of their choice, that should translate into tangible measures. And, if it doesn't translate into tangible measures, then it can be misinterpreted by the people at large," she added.

State Department officials have told Musharraf for months that he needs to broaden his political base and become less beholden to the Islamic groups that he has courted to shore up his power in the western part of the country.

Asked about American support for a power-sharing deal, Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said on Tuesday: "We have met with all parties, and have expressed our support for open and fair elections. We have encouraged the parties to strengthen the moderate center of Pakistani politics in order to better deal with the problems of extremism."

Teresita C. Schaffer, a Pakistan expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said that American officials saw a deal between Musharraf and Bhutto "as a potential lifeline and one that would get him less deeply involved with the religious parties."

Schaffer, however, expressed scepticism that such an alliance was manageable over the long term.

In Pakistan, the general view is that Musharraf needs the deal to stay in power, that Bhutto needs it to quash corruption cases against her in the international courts and that there is nothing in it for the people, said Talat Massood, a retired general and political analyst.

ANI