Hopefully the resignation of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf will herald a new era of democracy and the rule of law. Thank God the establishment charade will finally be over. As head of state the president must uphold the constitution and strengthen the nascent democratic order. Both khakis and baboos are unfit for this coveted position and should be kept out for all times to come. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first head of state. He conducted himself with grace honesty and integrity. Khawaja Nizam-ud-din one of the founding fathers of Pakistan succeeded him. The first prime minister of a nascent democracy was assassinated. Khawaja Sahib was trapped to step down into the position of PM and baboo Ghulam Muhammad became the governor-general. The establishment game had started. Final blow was struck by the first Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan General Ayub Khan on October 27, 1958. This unholy alliance of the khaki-baboo manipulation has continued to date and hopefully will end with the exit of General (retd) Musharraf. No khaki or baboo should ever be allowed to become the head of state. Enough damage has already been done by the two in the last fifty years (1958-2008). The president must protect Pakistan's sovereignty, its constitution, institutions, and people with his life and blood. Viceroys have destroyed us. Compromise for survival has been their approach with disastrous consequences for the masses. Unfortunately, in Pakistan most presidents have been a part and parcel of the evil establishment. Ghulam Ishaq Khan negotiated for an increase in his pension before resigning from the presidency. All head of states have left Islamabad in disgrace except Fazal Elahi Chaudhry who completed his term and went home gracefully with his dignity and honour intact. Sardar Farooq Leghari who was the nominee of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) ultimately sided with the establishment and dismissed the government of his own party. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto never forgave him for this cardinal sin. Today the sardar is isolated and disliked by democrats and is perceived as an establishment's lackey. The next president of Pakistan has to ensure the continuity and nourishment of the democratic process. It is widely speculated that the smaller provinces should be given the honour. The PM is from Punjab, the speaker of the National Assembly and chairman of the Senate are from Sindh, while Balochistan and Sarhad are under represented at the national level. There are several outstanding candidates from the deprived province of Balochistan. If grassroot activation is considered, Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch is an ideal candidate for this coveted position. He is a leader of the Balochistan Nationalist Party, a former MNA and a true comrade with extensive net working all over the country. As president he will strengthen the federation and remove the deprivations of his province. Another candidate, in my opinion, Sardar Yar Muhammad Jamali, the head of the Jamali tribe, is another good candidate. He is a nationalist and commands great respect. It is widely believed that he convinced PM Zarafullah Jamali against the military action in Balochistan. Subsequently Shaukat Aziz was inducted as a rubber stamp PM and the khaki plan was implemented with disastrous results. Ali Ahmad Kurd is called the lion of the lawyers' movement and also qualifies to be the next president. He started his legal practice in Jehlum and then moved to Quetta. A man of integrity and principles and stand out as a shining star of the province. He commands, respect not only in the legal community but across the country. Then there are political heavy weights in Sarhad as well. Starting with Afsandyar Wali, the torchbearer of the Red Shirt movement in the province, whostands tall. His father Wali Khan was a great nationalist and a principled politician. As leader of opposition in 1970 he played a constructive role in the finalisation of the 1973 constitution. Bhutto was misguided by the establishment in starting a military action in Balochistan in 1975 where his party was in power. In protest the members of his party in government resigned and a political confrontation was initiated. It certainly is the end of an era of exploitation and manipulation and the beginning of a new dawn of democracy. As a nation we are back to 1947 when the journey was started. Today there is another transition, away from establishment yoke and towards peoples' power. As the head of state the President of Pakistan has an important role in strengthening the federation which has been attacked and weakened by the khaki-baboo leadership and conspiracies. Only democracy can sustain this ravaged country for which a real democrat must lead. The writer is ex-chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation