<p>The victory of Mamnoon Hussain in Pakistan’s presidential election was a foregone conclusion. A candidate put up by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), Hussain coasted to victory on the PML’s strength in the National and Punjab Assemblies. <br /><br /></p>.<p> Hussain, a businessman, is known for his loyalty to prime minister Nawaz Sharif. That made him a trusted candidate for the presidency. Lacking a political constituency of his own, his rise from relative obscurity must be attributed to his proximity and loyalty to Sharif. Sharif appointed Hussain governor of Sind in the months preceding the military coup in October 1999. His choice of Hussain to be Pakistan’s president now is aimed at ensuring that the top post, even if it is only ceremonial, is in what Sharif considers a pair of ‘safe hands.’ Unlike his predecessor Asif Ali Zardari, who was known to the Pakistani public for his family background before he became president, president-elect Hussain is relatively unknown. In fact it was his low profile that proved advantageous and propelled him to the presidency. He lacks the charisma of Zardari and unlike Zardari, who during his tenure his tumultuous tenure as president, proved a lightning rod for controversy, Hussain is not a divisive figure.<br /><br />Sharif appears to have opted for a ‘weak’ personality as president in the hope that he will not create trouble for him and will stand by him in his struggles against the powerful military. Sharif would do well to remain cautious. After all, presidents during the 1990s started off politically weak but grew independent eventually to even join hands with the military to oust democratic governments. Indeed, Sharif himself was a victim of one such manoeuvre in 1993. In the late 1990s, Sharif appointed Parvez Musharraf as his army chief. Like Hussain, Musharraf was a muhajir and a Sharif loyalist. Indeed the two got along famously, until they fell apart over the Kargil conflict. Musharraf went on to stage a coup that ousted Sharif. <br /><br />Over the last five years, it was Pakistan’s presidency that hogged the limelight. There were frequent face-offs between Zardari and the judiciary as well as the military. Analysts expect the Hussain presidency to be a lack-lustre and low profile one. However, this cannot be taken for granted given the ever-turbulent nature of Pakistan’s politics. Hussain could spring some surprises.</p>
<p>The victory of Mamnoon Hussain in Pakistan’s presidential election was a foregone conclusion. A candidate put up by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), Hussain coasted to victory on the PML’s strength in the National and Punjab Assemblies. <br /><br /></p>.<p> Hussain, a businessman, is known for his loyalty to prime minister Nawaz Sharif. That made him a trusted candidate for the presidency. Lacking a political constituency of his own, his rise from relative obscurity must be attributed to his proximity and loyalty to Sharif. Sharif appointed Hussain governor of Sind in the months preceding the military coup in October 1999. His choice of Hussain to be Pakistan’s president now is aimed at ensuring that the top post, even if it is only ceremonial, is in what Sharif considers a pair of ‘safe hands.’ Unlike his predecessor Asif Ali Zardari, who was known to the Pakistani public for his family background before he became president, president-elect Hussain is relatively unknown. In fact it was his low profile that proved advantageous and propelled him to the presidency. He lacks the charisma of Zardari and unlike Zardari, who during his tenure his tumultuous tenure as president, proved a lightning rod for controversy, Hussain is not a divisive figure.<br /><br />Sharif appears to have opted for a ‘weak’ personality as president in the hope that he will not create trouble for him and will stand by him in his struggles against the powerful military. Sharif would do well to remain cautious. After all, presidents during the 1990s started off politically weak but grew independent eventually to even join hands with the military to oust democratic governments. Indeed, Sharif himself was a victim of one such manoeuvre in 1993. In the late 1990s, Sharif appointed Parvez Musharraf as his army chief. Like Hussain, Musharraf was a muhajir and a Sharif loyalist. Indeed the two got along famously, until they fell apart over the Kargil conflict. Musharraf went on to stage a coup that ousted Sharif. <br /><br />Over the last five years, it was Pakistan’s presidency that hogged the limelight. There were frequent face-offs between Zardari and the judiciary as well as the military. Analysts expect the Hussain presidency to be a lack-lustre and low profile one. However, this cannot be taken for granted given the ever-turbulent nature of Pakistan’s politics. Hussain could spring some surprises.</p>
