A Military Dictatorship No More

Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf is stepping down from his post as head of the army, ready for a new civilian life as a . . . well, dictator. But a civilian dictator. General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani will take over as head of the military, and he's someone who's liked in American defense circles since he went to Fort Leavenworth, etc., and "has played a prominent role in cooperating with the United States in the fight against terrorism in Pakistan and is expected to continue that policy."

This sounds a bit like meet the old boss, same as the old boss, but wearing a slightly different uniform, but what do I know....

Comments

I don't know why Musharraf didn't think of this earlier. You don't have to wear a uniform to be the king. Just ask Dubya.

Posted by Bill | November 28, 2007 10:35 AM

So, do Musharraf's pals call him "Perv"?

Posted by Anderson | November 28, 2007 10:40 AM

you mean "meet the new boss"...

Posted by freddiemac | November 28, 2007 10:42 AM

"This sounds a bit like meet the old boss, same as the old boss, but wearing a slightly different uniform, but what do I know...."

It's a little thing, but it does peel away a small bit of his power base. It makes him that much more vulnerable to a coup himself, and that much more likely to mollify his opponents.

Posted by Njorl | November 28, 2007 10:42 AM

Yep...more vulnerable to a coup...no Musharraf...one less cut of the billions.

Posted by tin foil | November 28, 2007 10:51 AM

ready for a new civilian life as a . . . well, dictator.

Musharraf was elected as President. So why call him a dictator? No different than Hugo Chavez...

Posted by Al | November 28, 2007 11:20 AM

I remember this bit of nuttiness, but can you break down for me again how Venezuela has rigged elections with the opposition banned?

Posted by Ed Marshall | November 28, 2007 11:25 AM

The question is: is there a single general that Musharraf can trust with command? Because if not, then he was vulnerable to a coup even while being ostensibly the Commander in Chief. If yes, then the difference is smallish.

Moreover, what difference are we talking about? That Musharraf will have to be more deferencial to sentiments within Pakistani military, after so many years of being the voice of those sentiments?

The best principle is that past coup leaders should be banned from the position of President. Perhaps, to make allowance for Chavez, the ban can be lifted after serving a term in prison.

Posted by piotr | November 28, 2007 11:36 AM

Musharraf was elected as President. So why call him a dictator? No different than Hugo Chavez...

Because, Al, real democracies require more than just holding elections periodically. They're based on accountable institutions, minority rights, a free press, etc. Did you not realize that?

Posted by Bill | November 28, 2007 11:56 AM

Bill, are you suggesting that the things on your list are present in Venezuela? Really?

Posted by Thomas | November 28, 2007 12:15 PM

The issue of Muasharraf wearing two hats isn't new - it's been on the table and a bone of contention for years. So my question is, why did he elect to step down from his military post now?

Posted by Ethel-to-Tilly | November 28, 2007 12:28 PM

This is how a democracy should truly work. "Take off the uniform" and all is well. Now, about those pesky judges and lawyers...

Plus, I like Al's logic. Musharraf had an election, thus Pakistan is a free and fair democracy. Chavez had an election, thus Venezuela is a free and fair democracy. Saddam had an election, thus Iraq was a free and fair democracy.

Freance and Peance. Smell it.

Posted by CKT | November 28, 2007 12:37 PM

"Musharraf was elected as President. So why call him a dictator? "

Let's compromise and call him Prictator.

Posted by Njorl | November 28, 2007 12:43 PM

Sounds like progress to me. After intense diplomatic pressure from the Bush administration and elsewhere (e.g., the British Commonwealth), Musharraf has:

Agreed to hold elections as originally scheduled in January.

Stepped down from his military position and left a reliable officer in charge.

Released prisoners.

Allowed former PM Bhutto to return from exile and register for the elections.

Allowed former PM Sharif to return from exile and register for the elections.

Kept the violence and chaos to a relative minimum.

It seems quite likely that after January Pakistan will be more democratic than it is now, perhaps with Pervez hanging around as President but with a democratically elected PM and parliament. Like I said, sounds like progress.

Meanwhile, in other Bush administration foreign policy news...

Iraq is moving toward Korea-fication, with a bi-lateral agreement to keep a sustainable, long-term troop presence set to replace the UN mandate in 2009.

North Korea's nuclear capability is being dismantled under U.S. supervision.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are back on track.

The new President of France thinks we're swell.

Posted by Fred | November 28, 2007 1:26 PM

"Kept the violence and chaos to a relative minimum."-Fred

It's nice when bank robbers keep the number of tellers they gratuitously shoot to a relative minimum.

Posted by Njorl | November 28, 2007 1:46 PM

CKT has convinced me. Saddam, Musharraf and Chavez are (were, in the case of Saddam) all dictators.

Posted by Al | November 28, 2007 2:10 PM

Remember when Perez Musharraf was on the Daily Show? It's sorta surreal to see Jon Stewart laughing it up with Musharraf.

Posted by Garnett | November 28, 2007 3:02 PM

>"Musharraf was elected as President. So why call him a dictator? "

Ah, it looks like Joe Klein's editor decided to de-lurk for a quick comment.

Posted by bartkid | November 28, 2007 3:50 PM

Meanwhile Pepe Escobar tells the real story over at Asia Times - including how it's possible that Pakistan will end up being partitioned into several states.

THE ROVING EYE
'Our' dictator gets away with it
By Pepe Escobar
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/IK28Df02.html

Money quotes:

A possible good alternative as Pakistani premier would be decent, non-corrupt opposition leader Aitzaz Ahsan, a former interior minister in the last Bhutto government and currently in jail.

But Washington instantly came up with other plans for fast-forwarding the plot - in the form of sinister John Negroponte, currently number two at the State Department and the designated George W Bush administration special envoy to Islamabad.

Negroponte's lush experience of deadly counter-insurgency in Honduras and Mexico in the early 1980s was not handy enough to make Musharraf see the writing on the wall himself: clean up your act (that is, cut a deal with Bhutto as soon as possible) or else. "Or else", with Musharraf out of the picture, would be Bhutto cutting a deal with the new top dog in boots, chain smoker and president of the Pakistan Golf Association General Kiani, the new Washington darling.

During early emergency days, there were widespread rumors Kiani - with US backing - had taken Musharraf into custody and assumed power. When Negroponte went to Islamabad in June to meddle in the crisis between Musharraf the Supreme Court, Ahsan told the Pakistani press, "The Americans have got their eggs in one basket and know only one phone number in Pakistan, and that is now a dud number because it does not communicate with any Pakistani citizens." Now the Americans have Kiani.

Negroponte met twice with Kiani. According to Urdu-language media, "he spent more time with General Kiani than with General Musharraf." Pakistani analysts are virtually unanimous. Beyond the Ahsan or Kiani "minor" issue, Negroponte's visit had nothing to do with democracy, but with guaranteeing the prosecution of the "war on terror" and the interests of US multinationals. The White House didn't bother to utter a single word about the fierce demands for democracy by Pakistani lawyers, journalists, students or human-rights activists.

Khan, now released, says he's in favor of boycotting the January elections. Other opposition parties are still debating. Khan insists if they all do boycott, "the credibility and value of the elections is lost"

Qazi's verdict on Pakistan under Musharraf is straight to the point: "The behavior of the government is leading to civil war."

Musharraf's bungled approach has in fact accelerated what may be the partition of Pakistan - a cataclysmic event that would not be exactly regretted in Washington. Admiral William Fallon, US Central Command chief, has made a typical Bush administration "creative destruction" proposition to Musharraf: let us fight the Taliban in the tribal areas and in the Swat Valley. Musharraf might have been in trouble, but he's certainly not suicidal; that would lead directly to the partition of Pakistan.

Khaled Ahmed of the Friday Times newspaper has been one among many to alert what may happen: Pakistan reduced to basically the Punjab. The NWFP would gladly recover a lot of hydroelectric power. Balochistan would gladly recover a lot of gas - and become a Turkmenistan-style gas republic. And Sindh would gladly profit from its industry and ports.

Posted by Richard Steven Hack | November 28, 2007 6:23 PM