The legitimacy factor!

Much that Mr Zardari may wish the stigma away, much that he may struggle to erase the disturbing memories about his persona stretching to over two decades, and much that he may try to drown the uncharitable chatter under a conniving and deafening crusade of propagating his 'intelligence quotient', it is the legitimacy factor that would continue to haunt him, through his ascendancy to the highest office in the country. The legitimacy factor does not only emanate from his supposed involvement in numerous cases relating to his activities subsequent to his marriage with Benazir Bhutto; it is the manner in which the top PPP leadership won its reprieve from a sitting dictator that casts a disturbing shadow over his credentials.

Unfortunately, well into the seventh month of governing the country at the head of a coalition, he has not initiated even a single credible step to undo a past deeply mired in controversy. On the contrary, the decisions that have been carved would only contribute to further perpetuating an overtly damaging legacy that he has carried to the presidency. After having repeatedly reneged on his verbal and written commitments with regard to the restoration of the judiciary, even his address to the joint session of the Parliament did not contain any concrete suggestion to remedy the rot that the country is engulfed in. He was quiet on the divisive judiciary issue that has plagued the country for over a year now. Deprived of independence, it continues to remain subservient to the establishment's whims and fancies. He did not put across any viable proposals to turn around a deeply troubled economy. He had nothing credible to offer to arrest the continually deteriorating law and order situation throughout the country, most notably in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.