The Hindu : Musharraf refutes rigging charges

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 05, 2002

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Musharraf refutes rigging charges

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD May 4. The Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, has expressed concern over Indian military exercises near the border, but at the same time was of the view that they did not pose any serious threat.

``I do not think at the moment there is a serious threat but I would like to say that we are watching, so we are concerned because of the capabilities that they have for any kind of adventurism,'' he told a group of foreign journalists here today.

It was the first encounter of Gen. Musharraf with the media after the controversial referendum that triggered charges of unprecedented rigging and irregularities. Ridiculing the allegations he asserted that the people of Pakistan had voted overwhelmingly in favour of the policies pursued by his regime. ``When 45 or 46 million people vote there are incidents that take place, with pluses and minuses,'' he said in response to questions on eyewitness accounts of rigging and multiple voting by international and national media teams.

The Pakistan President said the Election Commission had held the referendum in a ``fair, open and impartial manner. I'm proud of the fact that people had so much faith in me and voted for me.''

However he would not say whether he would go before the new national and provincial assemblies for ratification of his election as the President. Under the Pakistan Constitution, members of the national and provincial assemblies constitute the Electoral College for election of President.

He told journalists that political parties would be allowed to contest elections. However he would not say when his government intended to lift the ban on political activities.

Gen. Musharraf said while the Prime Minister in the new set-up would have all the powers, there would be effective checks and balances on his-her functioning. The Prime Minister and Parliament would have no powers to reverse the economic and political reforms initiated by his Government. To resolve any potential struggles between the President and Prime Minister, they were considering a National Security Council which would include the heads of the armed forces. He said the council would ``have the power to check any misdoing of the Government''.

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