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Bhutto's Party Enters Presidential Fray ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's party has declared that it would contest Pakistan's Oct. 6 presidential election _ but only if President Gen. Pervez Musharraf is barred from running. The announcement Tuesday added another twist to Pakistan's tangled politics and put more pressure on Musharraf, a key U.S. ally in the war on terror who has held monthslong talks with Bhutto over a possible power-sharing agreement. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court resumed hearing petitions that could determine Musharraf's right to pursue a new five-year term. The opposition claims he cannot do so without giving up his powerful dual role as army chief. Musharraf, who seized power in a 1999 coup, has pledged to step down as military chief and restore civilian rule if lawmakers give him a fresh mandate Oct. 6. But a government lawyer said Tuesday the Pakistani leader would remain army chief if he is not re-elected. That has fueled opposition claims, denied by the government, that Musharraf could be preparing to declare a state of emergency. With a court ruling expected this week, authorities already have rounded up at least 100 opposition party leaders and members _ perhaps many more _ to prevent street protests, drawing sharp criticism from Washington and the European Union. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party said its vice chairman, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, would contest the presidential vote by national and provincial lawmakers if the Supreme Court disqualifies Musharraf, according to a party statement released late Tuesday. That indicated the party did not plan to run directly against Musharraf. But in an effort to keep the pressure on the military leader to cut a deal that could allow Bhutto to become prime minister for a third time, the party said it would also consider resigning from Parliament to boycott the vote if Musharraf is allowed to run. "If the Supreme Court does not disqualify Gen. Pervez Musharraf, the PPP would consider resigning from the Parliament unless moves are taken toward democracy," party spokesman Farhatullah Babar said. An opposition coalition of Islamist parties and the party of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, have said they plan to resign from Parliament this week _ a move that would lead to at least a partial boycott of the vote by lawmakers, intended to rob it of legitimacy. The coalition's leaders were to meet Wednesday to finalize their plans. Syed Munawar Hasan, a leader of the Islamist Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, or United Action Forum, said its lawmakers would resign from the National Assembly, Parliament's lower house, but were keeping their options open until after the Supreme Court verdict on whether to resign from the four provincial assemblies. He said MMA members of the Senate, or upper house of Parliament, would not resign and would support Wajihuddin Ahmed, an independent-minded former Supreme Court judge nominated by lawyers to run against Musharraf. Siddique ul-Farooq, a spokesman for Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N party, said its senators also would support Ahmed's candidacy, and its other lawmakers would resign from the other assemblies "as a strategy to block the way of Pervez Musharraf." Arguments continued Wednesday in the Supreme Court over whether Musharraf's holding of dual offices affects his eligibility for the presidential election. S.M. Zafar, a lawyer appointed by the court to advise on the case, said that if the military leader had previously separated the offices of president and army chief, "the country's democratic credentials would certainly have been raised." Musharraf has seen his popularity and power erode since his botched effort to fire the Supreme Court's chief justice earlier this year. His administration is also struggling to contain Islamic militants. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. 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