Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf appears to have outfoxed his political foes at least for now. He has managed to get himself re-elected as President for another term. He polled 252 of 257 votes cast by members of the National Assembly and the Senate and has also won most of the votes cast in the provincial assemblies.

While he did manage to corner most of the votes cast, the fact is that many legislators did not vote. The election was boycotted by the Opposition. His ‘sweeping victory’ is therefore not quite as convincing as it is being made out to be. With the win, President Musharraf has crossed another hurdle on his way to another term at the helm.

But his bid for the presidency could still fail. The Supreme Court has to confirm the legality of his re-election bid before he can be declared winner. So there is a Damocles’ sword still hanging over the General’s head.

An eleventh hour deal between President Musharraf and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Benazir Bhutto ensured that her party legislators did not resign from the federal or provincial assemblies ahead of the election as have those from other opposition parties. PPP legislators abstained from voting. But by remaining in parliament they undermined the opposition campaign to pull the rug from under the President’s feet.

Almost two decades ago, it was Bhutto who spearheaded the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD) in Pakistan. It is unfortunate that the same Bhutto has now done a deal which will enable the General to continue in power. Had she co-operated with other opposition parties, especially Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League, the campaign for restoration of democracy in Pakistan would have been strengthened considerably. The deal she has now done with the General will enable her to become prime minister for a third term and she has been granted amnesty in cases of corruption. She is likely to claim that it was her efforts and the deal she clinched with Musharraf that forced him to agree to give up his post of army chief. She has said that the agreement will facilitate Pakistan’s transition from military to civilian rule. But it is all really about securing the interests and political ambitions of Bhutto and Musharraf. There is little in this deal for the people of Pakistan. Bhutto has given the military a fresh lease of life in Pakistan politics.