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  • Feb 25th, 2005
  • Comments Off on People will choose my successor: Musharraf
President Musharraf said on Thursday he will not nominate any successor to take over should an assassin take his life, and Pakistan's next leader would be chosen by its people and the National Assembly. Musharraf, who has survived two al Qaeda inspired assassination attempts, decided in December to retain his position as chief of army staff in order to oversee a war on terrorism and steer Pakistan toward peace with India.

"I'm an optimist, as I said, and I don't think very much of such extreme possibilities, but I do know there is a political process in place," the President replied when asked by Reuters Video News who would run the country should an assassin succeed.

"There is no monarchy going on here, I don't have to nominate an heir. The people of Pakistan, the Assembly of Pakistan will select a person who would lead if I am not there," Musharraf said, speaking via a satellite link between Islamabad and London.

Under the Constitution the chairman of the senate would become acting president until a longer-term successor was chosen.

Musharraf has made it his mission to defeat forces of religious extremism in the country and coined the term "enlightened moderation" as his philosophy for Pakistan.

But, critics say the President, who was installed after a popular, bloodless coup ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in late 1999, has failed to rebuild country's democratic institutions.

Asked in the interview if he would consider working with Benazir Bhutto in order to garner support for his progressive polices, Musharraf said all moderate forces should join together before adding: "Let's leave personalities aside."

The release Asif Ali Zardari, on bail in November after being held for eight years had sparked speculation that Musharraf was trying to make a deal with Benazir's Pakistan People's Party ahead of elections due in 2007.

Copyright Reuters, 2005


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