Asif Ali Zardari becomes the President of Pakistan today after winning the presidential election. He secured 479 votes out of 702. His opponents, Retired Chief Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui received 153 elctoral votes and Senator Mushahid Hussein received 43. Asif’s victory in three provinces is overwhelming, especially in Sindh where his opposing candidates couldn’t get a single vote. Only in Punjab Assembly Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqi is able to get more votes than Asif.
The vote by the two houses of parliament and four provincial assemblies forms the 1,170-member, but 702-vote, electoral college. According to a Dawn update:
‘Asif Ali Zardari secured 281 votes out of the 426 valid votes polled in the parliament,’ chief election commissioner Qazi Mohammad Farooq said. He has secured 458 out of 702 electoral college votes, according to partial Election Commission results.
Asif Zardari is the 13th President of Pakistan. The ones who have been President before him include: Iskandar Mirza, Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry, Zia-ul-Haq, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Waseem Sajjad, Farooq Laghari, Waseem Sajjad, Rafiq Tarar and Pervaiz Musharraf. Waseem Sajjad has twice been the President of Pakistan.
its truly a sad day :(
Mangeela,
Please do not worry about my health or tummy being in knots. I am fine and dandy living here in the West. It is the people of Pakistan that wills suffer.
Let me share with you what the NY Times wrote recently:
“Two recent decisions by Mr. Zardari showed a disregard for Pakistan
Nope. Despite some potential ‘horse trading’ by both PMLN and PPP, Zardari was elected by people’s representatives. Learn to live with THAT at least–it may do your health some good not to have your stomach in a knot.
By the way, one of the main reasons Zardari got so many votes was because his being the president would be the best insurance against a premature dissolution of the new parliament. These MNAs, MPAs, and Senators know where to put their money. No blaming them.
Kick him out in 5 years if you hate him so much. But you really cannot take away his legitimacy as the president. And try to understand that without democracy there is no way out for Pakistan and that nation’s leaders mirror its populace.
Pity the nation…
meengla writes:
“President Zardari is people