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| Musharraf wins presidential vote | Musharraf wins presidential vote |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Gen Pervez Musharraf has easily won a vote to be re-elected Pakistan's president, even though it is unclear if his candidacy was legal. | Gen Pervez Musharraf has easily won a vote to be re-elected Pakistan's president, even though it is unclear if his candidacy was legal. |
| He won all but five of the votes cast in parliament's two houses and swept the ballots in the four provincial assemblies, election officials said. | He won all but five of the votes cast in parliament's two houses and swept the ballots in the four provincial assemblies, election officials said. |
| Opposition MPs abstained or boycotted the vote, calling it unconstitutional. | Opposition MPs abstained or boycotted the vote, calling it unconstitutional. |
| The Supreme Court says no winner can be declared until it decides whether Gen Musharraf can stand while army chief. | The Supreme Court says no winner can be declared until it decides whether Gen Musharraf can stand while army chief. |
| 'Flouted' | 'Flouted' |
| Gen Musharraf's supporters dominate the assemblies, thanks to elections five years ago which were widely condemned as rigged. | Gen Musharraf's supporters dominate the assemblies, thanks to elections five years ago which were widely condemned as rigged. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY To a commoner like me, it makes no difference who stays in power Jawad R, Pakistan Send us your comments href="/1/hi/in_pictures/7031756.stm"> In pictures: Musharraf wins How the president is elected | |
| As expected, he won by a landslide. | As expected, he won by a landslide. |
| Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq told the National Assembly that Gen Musharraf had won 252 of 257 votes cast in the upper and lower houses. | Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq told the National Assembly that Gen Musharraf had won 252 of 257 votes cast in the upper and lower houses. |
| He said his nearest rival, Wajihuddin Ahmed, had won just two votes. Three votes had been rejected. | He said his nearest rival, Wajihuddin Ahmed, had won just two votes. Three votes had been rejected. |
| There was a similar picture in the assemblies in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, North West Frontier and Balochistan. | There was a similar picture in the assemblies in the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, North West Frontier and Balochistan. |
| Ruling party members claimed victory even before counting had begun, calling it a step on the way to "full democracy". | Ruling party members claimed victory even before counting had begun, calling it a step on the way to "full democracy". |
| The opposition said the constitution had been flouted. | The opposition said the constitution had been flouted. |
| "We will not accept him as president... He is a person who has hardly any respect for the rule of law," Sadique ul-Farooq, a leader of the party of exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the Associated Press news agency. | "We will not accept him as president... He is a person who has hardly any respect for the rule of law," Sadique ul-Farooq, a leader of the party of exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told the Associated Press news agency. |
| Security was tight in cities across Pakistan, after opposition parties and lawyers' groups called for protests. | Security was tight in cities across Pakistan, after opposition parties and lawyers' groups called for protests. |
| In Peshawar in the north-west police fired tear gas at lawyers protesting near the provincial assembly building. | In Peshawar in the north-west police fired tear gas at lawyers protesting near the provincial assembly building. |
| 'Just a formality' | 'Just a formality' |
| Pakistan has been engulfed in political upheaval in recent months, at the same time as the security forces have suffered a series of blows from pro-Taleban militants opposed to Gen Musharraf's support for the US-led "war on terror". | Pakistan has been engulfed in political upheaval in recent months, at the same time as the security forces have suffered a series of blows from pro-Taleban militants opposed to Gen Musharraf's support for the US-led "war on terror". |
| KEY DATES 06 Oct: Presidential vote is held 17 Oct: Supreme Court to resume hearing challenges to Musharraf candidacy 18 Oct: Date ex-PM Benazir Bhutto has set for her homecoming 15 Nov: Parliamentary term ends and general election must be held by mid-January | KEY DATES 06 Oct: Presidential vote is held 17 Oct: Supreme Court to resume hearing challenges to Musharraf candidacy 18 Oct: Date ex-PM Benazir Bhutto has set for her homecoming 15 Nov: Parliamentary term ends and general election must be held by mid-January |
| Gen Musharraf will step down as army chief, but only if he is re-elected, his lawyers have said. | Gen Musharraf will step down as army chief, but only if he is re-elected, his lawyers have said. |
| But a ruling by the Supreme Court on Friday throws the presidential election into confusion. | But a ruling by the Supreme Court on Friday throws the presidential election into confusion. |
| It means that even though Gen Musharraf has the most votes he cannot be declared winner until the court has decided if he was a valid candidate in the first place. | It means that even though Gen Musharraf has the most votes he cannot be declared winner until the court has decided if he was a valid candidate in the first place. |
| The judges said they would not make a final decision before 17 October, which coincides with the day Ms Bhutto says she will leave London to return from years of self-imposed exile. | The judges said they would not make a final decision before 17 October, which coincides with the day Ms Bhutto says she will leave London to return from years of self-imposed exile. |
| A deal announced on Friday with former PM Benazir Bhutto meant members of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) did not join Saturday's opposition boycott, but abstained from voting. | A deal announced on Friday with former PM Benazir Bhutto meant members of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) did not join Saturday's opposition boycott, but abstained from voting. |
| Under the deal, Gen Musharraf dropped corruption charges against Ms Bhutto - a stride towards an expected power-sharing arrangement. | Under the deal, Gen Musharraf dropped corruption charges against Ms Bhutto - a stride towards an expected power-sharing arrangement. |
| General elections are due to be held by mid-January. | General elections are due to be held by mid-January. |