Musharraf Pleads For Unity After Vote

It looks like the two opposition parties are winning the majority of the seats in Pakistan's elections today.

Pakistan's embattled president appealed for national unity Monday after parliamentary elections aimed at bolstering democracy and calming political strife. But fear and apathy kept millions at home, raising the prospect of no clear winner and a government too fragmented to rally the nation against Islamic extremists.

Private television stations reported strong showings by the two main opposition parties in early unofficial tallies, a trend conceded by the party of President Pervez Musharraf. Final official results were not expected before Wednesday.

Officials confirmed 24 deaths in election-related violence over the previous 24 hours, mostly in the country's biggest province of Punjab, the key electoral battleground.

Musharraf was not on the ballot, but the election was widely seen as a referendum on his eight-year rule, including his alliance with the United States in the war against terrorist groups that many Pakistanis oppose.

We must hope that after the elections that these groups can work together in the best interests of the Pakistani's, which would also benefit us, because the majority do not want the terrorists to gain control of their country!!


unity