Pakistan Goes to the Polls

Oct 06, 06:52 AM

Current Headlines: Voters in Pakistan went to the polls Saturday with President Pervez Musharraf the front-runner in his bid for re-election to a third term.

An unofficial vote count was to be announced after the polls closed, but the election will not be ratified for at least 11 days as legal challenges are cleared by Pakistan's Supreme Court, CNN reported Saturday.

If Musharraf wins, the high court still must rule on whether he is eligible to continue as president and as commander of the military wearing his general's uniform. Musharraf has pledged to resign his military post if re-elected, but the court still is expected to rule on the issue.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's opposition party Saturday reiterated its demand that Musharraf resign the general's post before seeking re-election.

About 185 Pakistani opposition lawmakers resigned their offices as a sign of solidarity, but their actions were not expected to affect the vote. Police Saturday dispersed opposition lawyers protesting the vote outside the Peshawar province assembly, CNN reported.