US backs 'smooth' return to democracy in ally Pakistan
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States wants to see a smooth transition to democracy in Pakistan for the country's long-term stability and to aid the fight against terror, a top State Department official said.
The comments by Richard Boucher came after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said he would seek re-election on October 6 while still serving as army chief.
Without commenting specifically on Musharraf's announcement, the State Department's assistant secretary for South and Central Asia said an end to military rule would benefit both Pakistani and US interests.
Addressing postgraduate students at Washington's Johns Hopkins University, Boucher said that "long-term stability in Pakistan requires a return to democracy."
"We want to see that transition, we want to see it to be a fair election so that in the end, it's about the people of Pakistan... and respecting the choices they make," he said.
Boucher stressed that Pakistan was an indispensable US ally in the "war against terror," and noted that Musharraf now faces a declaration of war from Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
"We want to see continuity in terms of Pakistan being better able to continue that fight for the long term, continue not just in the military dimension but in the economic and social dimension," he said.
Opposition parties in Pakistan immediately vowed to quit parliament over Musharraf's plans to win another five-year term in uniform. He announced this week that he would step down as army chief, but only if he wins the poll.
Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup and whose popularity has nosedived, must also hope the Supreme Court does not uphold any of the legal challenges that political rivals have filed against his eligibility.
"This transition in Pakistan, we want it to be smooth, we want it to be successful... but it has to result in a more stable and democratic system," Boucher said.
