PAKISTAN ELECTIONS: LATEST UPDATE & ANALYSIS
On December 15, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf lifted the state of emergency that he had instituted on November 3. Parliamentary elections, initially scheduled for January 8, were pushed back to February following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the subsequent riots throughout Pakistan. Both the election process over the next few weeks and the final results will have a significant impact on Pakistan's future over the coming years.
Over the coming weeks, Belfer Center experts Xenia Dormandy, Hassan Abbas, and Haroon Ullah will provide regular updates and analysis of the most recent news from Pakistan and its global implications.
February 19, 2008
Pakistan Election Analysis: Free and Fair?
By Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Xenia Dormandy draws from her experience monitoring yesterday's elections to assess their legitimacy and what the results could mean for Pakistan's future.
February 18, 2008
Pakistan Election Update: Election Day
By Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Xenia Dormandy writes from Pakistan that elections "appear to have been in large part peaceful, notwithstanding some being delayed due to security threats and some bombings at polling stations. While the results are still being counted and a formal tally will not be out for some while, informally, we are likely to know the results even this evening."
February 15, 2008
Pakistan Election Update and Analysis: The Polls
By Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Pakistan's election will take place on Monday, and the army has been activated to ensure security: this security, however, is lacking. Parts of the FATA are restricted, so it's not clear how - or whether - polling will take place in some towns. Even within Pakistan, the election campaign weeks have been made most notable, not by the speeches of the candidates, but by the suicide bombings and those killed at events.
January 11, 2008
Update and Analysis: Will the Attacks Prevent Elections?
By Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Tensions in Pakistan have been high for months. Not just in terms of the political battles through the presidential and parliamentary election process, but militant attacks too, with more than 40 suicide attacks last year. Approximately 140 were killed during Benazir Bhutto's arrival procession on October 18. And then on December 27, over 20 more were killed, along with Bhutto herself. Approximately 50 died in demonstrations in the weeks following her assassination. Already in 2008, there have been two major suicide attacks within Pakistan, the latest yesterday when 26 were killed in what is believed to have been a suicide attack outside Lahore's high court.
January 2, 2008
"What Lies Ahead in Pakistan?"
By Aida Akl, Jela de Franceschi, Victor Morales and Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Voice of America interviews Xenia Dormandy on Pakistan's political future following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Listen to her interview online: http://www.voanews.com/english/NewsAnalysis/2008-01-03-voa21.cfm
December 31, 2007
"The Elections Must Go Ahead"
The Guardian, Comment is Free...
By Hassan Abbas, Senior Advisor, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Without credible elections, restoration of the independent judiciary and effective curbs on the activities of the country's intelligence agencies in internal affairs, Pakistan cannot be rescued from a certain slide into more chaos. Pakistan's history is full of cover-ups and Bhutto's murder is proving to be no different.
December 28, 2007
Bhutto's Assassination: Update
By Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Bhutto leaves three children, the oldest 19, and a husband. She also leaves Pakistan's one truly national party without a leader, a party that throughout its history has only been led by Bhuttos. Typical to Pakistani politics, Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party is personality driven. It is not clear yet whether there is one person who stands above the others in the party who can pick up the pieces, draw in the popular support and lead the party into elections in 10 days. Her children are too young yet to pick up the baton.
December 27, 2007
Bhutto's Legacy
By David Beard and Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Xenia Dormandy, Director of the Belfer Center's Project on India and the Subcontinent, spoke with Boston.com about Benezir Bhutto's legacy and Washington's dependence on current leader Pervez Musharraf. Listen to her interview online.
December 27, 2007
Assassination of Bhutto in Pakistan: A Day of National Tragedy
By Haroon Ullah, Former Research Fellow, The Dubai Initiative
Bhutto has become a martyr for many Pakistani people, giving her life for the idea of a democratic process in Pakistan. This is one of the saddest days in Pakistan history, only a few days after the remembrance day of Quaid-e-Azam, the great independence leader of Pakistan.
December 26, 2007
Pakistan Elections: Analysis. What Constitutes Free and Fair?
By Xenia Dormandy, Former Senior Associate, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
It is hard to make the argument that despite the state of emergency, the arrests of lawyers, the new Supreme Court, the fact the Sharif can not run and that Bhutto may not be able to lead even if she wins, the media restrictions, the continued militant suicide attacks, not to mention the general assorted political machinations (such as persuading people to change parties etc.), that with all of this, the elections will be free and fair.
