International

Benazir dares Musharraf to face elections

WASHINGTON APRIL 14. Challenging the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, to go to the people not through a referendum but by holding elections, the former Paksitan Prime Minister, Benazir Bhutto, declared that she would return to contest elections ``even if I am sent to jail''.

In an interview to Dawn from New York, the Pakistani leader-in-exile said Gen. Musharraf's decision to hold a referendum was ``unconstitutional and illegal''. He should hold elections and present himself before Parliament to get elected, she said.

He was perfectly entitled to go to Parliament to seek five more years, she added.

Through an intermediary she had conveyed to Gen. Musharraf that if he was interested in sharing power, he could initiate electoral reforms to hold elections.

``If you hold fair elections and form a government of national consensus, then certainly you can tell the people of Pakistan I have a role to play and you can come before Parliament to seek a vote of confidence,'' she said.

She said her party, the Pakistan Peoples Party's slogan in the referendum would be `Go Musharraf Go. No Musharraf No'. She believed that Gen. Musharraf would lose the referendum.

Ms Bhutto said that Gen. Musharraf's entire Lahore speech was an answer to her advice. ``He has made it clear in his speech that he will not share power and he made a critical error by calling for referendum. He cannot dictate,'' she said.

When she first heard about the referendum she thought "it would be about religious extremism. I didn't know referendum was about me. All he did was talk about me which I take it as a back-handed compliment. The real issue is not whether he likes me or not. He knows that the PPP is a strong party and has the support of the people.''

Ms. Bhutto said Gen. Musharraf would ``allow 18-year-old persons to vote who are not on the electoral list. To have a referendum or elections, there should be an electoral list. This is the first referendum which would be held without an electoral list''. _ UNI

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