Elections again

The PML-Q is mainly those from the PML-N who chose the new military dispensation, who realised that the Zia era was finally over. Many of those who are in the PML-N are there because they were placed there by the Zia-era military, and the rest because the PML-N is a party of power into which they found the way the easiest.

In short, the PML-N was the first experiment in which the military tried to raise a party. The PPP experiment failed, as the party took on a life of its own, but the PPP is also a party of power, and Asif Zardari's ascent to the presidency reflects this.

Zardari has had to face opposition to his becoming president, down to the appearance of the report of his lunacy appearing in the English press, which he submitted to a court. If he admits these certificates, he will be saying that he is one of those who escape hearings through false certificates. If he denies them, he will inevitably drag in the putative issuer. He already faces queries about his wife's death, which have not been asked. Be that as it may, Benazir's head of security has been murdered, just like at least one judge in a case against him, as well as a policeman in the Murtaza murder, of which Asif stood accused.

If the PPP has picked Asif Zardari, a criminal accused, the PML-N picked a former Supreme Court chief justice. The PML-N previously picked a retired Supreme Court judge in Rafiq Tarar, but he had shown a bent for politics by having previously become a senator.

Chief Justice Siddiqui has shown no such inclination. It was not even known that he belonged to the PML-N until he became its forlorn candidate. Equally destined to lose is Mushahid Hussain of the PML-Q, though he at least is neither Chaudhry Shujaat nor Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, who were expected to be candidates for the office in line with their tradition of monopolising party opportunities. But Mushahid is not going to gain more than the line in his bio-data about having contested the office. Luckily, he is no Kamil Ali Agha, whom the Chaudhrys could have put forward.

E-mail: maniazi@nation.com.pk