Benazir Bhutto was larger than life, and in her death she continues to influence a nation.
On Sunday it was announced in Naudero, Pakistan that her 19 year old son, Bilawal, will carry on the Bhutto legacy. He has been named successor and Chairman of the Pakistan's People's Party (PPP), with his father, Asif Ali Zardari, acting as Co-Chairman.
Zardari will steward the PPP until Bilawal, an Oxford University student, completes his studies.
In the immediate aftermath of her assassination on December 27, violence erupted nationwide, with emotional riots in the streets and hundreds of vehicles burned. Pakistanis mourned with tears and anger as the shockwaves of her killing rolled across the country.
The PPP paid attention to the national psyche and moved swiftly to fill the vacuum. A third generation Bhutto has been entrusted with that task, albeit symbolically. It remains to be seen whether Zardari will be accepted by the people of Pakistan.
Zardari was once nicknamed "Mr. Ten Percent" due to allegations of questionable money dealings while Minister of Investment during Benazir's second term as prime minister. He spent eight years in jail in Pakistan for corruption charges.
Bhutto always maintained these were trumped up allegations concocted to disable her leadership, discredit her husband and distract from a corrupt military regime.
Bhutto herself faced corruption charges stemming from her term in power in the 1990s, but the charges were waived in October.
Now, without his charismatic and iconic wife by his side, Zardari will rise or fall on his own merit, evaluated by how he leads the PPP until his son emerges.
Can Husband and Son Save Democracy?
The succession of Bhuttos's son and husband to the PPP Federation have become a defining moment for democracy in Pakistan.
There has been talk that the PPP will push toward an election in less than a week, but the probability of a previously-planned January 8 date still remains uncertain. The PPP and other parties, such as Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League, are intent on participating in free and fair elections as soon as possible.
However, never keen on pursuing a democratic mandate for his leadership, President Pervez Musharraf's government is seeking to block it.
Bhutto's Assassination Unsolved
Meanwhile, the circumstances of Bhutto's death continue to be rife with speculation and marked by deep distrust.
Pakistan Interior Ministry Spokesman, Javed Jabel Cheema, was audibly booed during a press meeting last week as he put forward yet another official version of the manner of her death. Versions have mutated daily since news of her assassination spread across the world.
Bhutto's death has been attributed to an al-Qaeda operative suicide bomber; a mystery man in sunglasses; bullets fired at close range; flying shrapnel; and a head injury as she hit the lever on the sunroof of her vehicle.
Her supporters, representing many moderate voices in Pakistan, dispute the government's claims that her death was due to an orchestrated al-Qaeda attack.
Imran Kahn, the legendary Pakistani cricketer and founder of the democratic opposition party Tehreet-e-Insaf, stated in a recent Sydney Morning Herald article, "The truth is anyone can be bumped off in Pakistan and blame it on al-Qaeda."
Following weekend meetings with the party executive, the PPP Federation called on the United Nations Monday to conduct an independent inquiry into her death, a move also suggested by several U.S. politicians.
Bhutto's Family Frequent Targets
Over the years, Bhutto has seen three of her family members die violent, untimely deaths.
Her father, Prime Minister Zulfigar Ali Bhutto, was ordered hanged by militant dictator General Zia in 1979. Her two brothers died in other peculiar circumstances. The price the Bhutto family has paid for the hope of a civilian democracy in Pakistan has been high.
Like her brothers, Benazir Bhutto's death is clouded by shadows that share components of militant revenge and mystery. The cast of scenarios and characters point to the very complex and multi-faced nature of Pakistani politics.
It may be too simplistic or naïve to assume that Bhutto's death was the isolated work of just one group. The video tapes of that fateful moment are continuing to be examined and reviewed by security services around the world.
Speculation has it that she would have won the popular vote in the January 8 election. As the first-ever female Prime Minister of any Islamic nation, she was a perceived threat to many inside her country.
She returned to Pakistan in October under the impression that Musharraf was willing to enter into a power sharing deal with her for the sake of the country.
But not long after her arrival there was a deadly bomb attack on her life. Bhutto was spared, but over 150 bystanders died in the horrific blast, barely investigated by the government, and considered "bizarre" by PPP insiders.
Bhutto was well aware of the grave risks she was taking by returning to her homeland. She was reportedly worried about a lack of security and had made numerous requests for increased security at a level "befitting a Prime Minister."
The "lip service" as some have called the Musharraf government's response, is now suspect by many in Pakistan and the rank and file of the PPP. They have inferred that security coverage may have been minimized for political purposes.
In an interview with Wolf Blitzer of CNN three months ago, Bhutto talked about how she was a target of terrorism in the past and could be in the future. Referring to al Qaeda, she explained how they do not want democracy, do not want her back in Pakistan and do not believe in women governing nations.
"I am standing up for democracy, for moderation, for hope, for all the people that are poor and miserable and are quite desperate," she said.
But Bhutto would not abandon the cause, seeing the end of her self-imposed exile as both destiny and necessity. She described how returning was a risk she "needed to take and was willing to take."
Assassination: A Common Tool of Dictators
Bhutto's journey shares profound similarities with that of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, a prominent Senator from The Philippines in the early 1980s. He was a populist opposition leader and dissident voice to the then-dictatorial regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.
In August 1983 Aquino returned from years of expatriation to run as the leading contender for President Marcos' presidential office. This commitment to democratic ideals cost him his life as he was murdered on the airport tarmac after setting foot on Philippine soil.
According to a 1983 BBC report, moments before disembarking the plane he said prophetically, "I suppose there's a physical danger because you know assassination's part of public service. My feeling is we all have to die sometime and if it's my fate to die by an assassin's bullet, so be it."
Aquino's assassination turned world opinion against President Marcos and ignited the People's EDSA Revolution of 1986. Eventually, his wife Corazon was catapulted to power as his successor. She became the first ever female Asian elected President.
Similarly, Benazir Bhuttos life and influence continue on. After sacrificing her life for her country, her spouse and son are entrusted to carrying on her lifelong work.
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