Musharraf stands between people, democracy: Zardari

Co-chairman Pakistan People's Party, Asif Ali Zardari Thursday said President Pervez Musharraf stands between the people and democracy. Giving enough hints that President Pervez Musharraf's days in office may be numbered, ruling PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said in an interview to an Indian news agency that there is "tremendous" pressure from people who want the President's ouster and that he has "no choice". Describing Musharraf as a "relic of the past", Asif Zardari, however, candidly admitted the President still  enjoys powers under the Constitution to dissolve parliament and dismiss prime minister.  To a pointed query if Musharraf's days as President are numbered, Zardari evaded a direct reply saying: "I don't know whether his days are numbered or my days are numbered or our government's days are numbered. Who knows that?" "He still has 58(2)(b) and he has a tremendous amount of power behind him. If he moves, he moves," he said, referring to President's powers under Article 58(2b) of the Constitution that allows him to dissolve an elected parliament and thus dismiss Prime Minister. The "bottomline" is that people of Pakistan want Musharraf to go." And I am servant of the people, not the master of the people," PPP Chairman said. "The President is a relic of the past and he stands somewhere between us and democracy....He has taken off his uniform thanks to the dialogue by my wife (late former Prime MInister Benazir Bhutto) and the world pressure," he said. "But that does not make him (Musharraf) into a democrat or a civilian President. That doesn't mean that his Presidency is legal. I've got all these issues. I have a tremendous amount of pressure from people of Pakistan," said Zardari.

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