Zardari got the majority of votes with a total of 479 votes from Pakistan’s Electoral Board. The Electoral Board consists of the Senate, the National Assembly, and four Provincial Assemblies.
Zardari got the majority of votes from the three provincial assemblies and lost one (Punjab Assembly), which belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N). In the National Assembly and Senate, he also won the majority of votes.
After winning the elections today, Zardari briefly thanked the Board and the people of Pakistan for their confidence.
With Pervez Musharraf gone, it was necessary to hold elections for the president’s office within 30 days. The alliance between the two major political parties, PML (N) and PPP is over. PML (N) and PPP nominated Justice Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui and Asif Ali Zardari, respectively, as their presidential candidates, widening the gap between both parties.
Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (Musharraf’s old party) also brought in their nominee Senator Mushahid Hussain, an ex-journalist and self-proclaimed member of middle class. Hussain strongly objected to Zardari as a presidential nominee because of past corruption charges.
Nawaz Sharif also objected to Zardari running for president and has said that a single party should not hold both the offices of president and prime minister.
On the other hand, Zardari has claimed that his family and party have sacrificed so much for the nation and that he has a right to run for president. He also said that he does not believe in a politics that leads toward divisiveness and he is only running for president to nourish democracy in Pakistan. He also mentioned abolishing article 58-2/B instituted by Musharraf, which gives the president the power to dissolve the National Assembly.
The game of musical chairs has been a favorite pastime for Pakistan’s military establishment and civilian political leadership. Pakistan has witnessed over 30 years of military dictatorships in its 60 years since independence. Now again the wheel has spun. The military establishment has made room for civilian political parties.
Traditionally the position of president has been filled by someone who does not have an affiliation with any political party, but rather a person who represents all four provinces.
Tarik Zia, a Pakistani journalist who was at the Electoral Board elections and has met Zardari in person said, “Zardari has a strong personality and has managed to gain a lot of political power very quickly. Basically he is a politician and the first legitimate president of Pakistan because he was just voted into office.”
