'Sharif's polls participation to give Musharraf much needed legitimacy'

Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (R) president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) looks on as his party's secretary general, Mushahid Hussains (L) speaks during a press conference in Islamabad yesterday. The party backing Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf unveiled its election manifesto saying it focused on human rights, political reconciliation and tackling extremism. Photo: AFP

Former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif's decision to contest upcoming elections is good for democracy, analysts say -- but may ironically have strengthened his arch-foe, President Pervez Musharraf.
Sharif's opposition party announced on Sunday that it would take part in the January 8 polls, saying that it did not want to leave an allegedly rigged field free for groups that back key US ally Musharraf.
Sharif, who is personally banned from standing due to criminal convictions, said on Monday that without other political leaders including Benazir Bhutto onside, a partial boycott would be "disastrous for the opposition."
But as the man who toppled Sharif in 1999 and who only gave up his role as army chief last month, Musharraf craves the legitimacy that internationally accepted, non-boycotted elections would bring, analysts say.
Pro-Musharraf parties backed Sharif's participation, saying it would enhance the credibility of the vote amid international concerns about the fairness of elections and an ongoing state of emergency.
"In a way it strengthens the credibility of elections -- and Musharraf needs credible elections," Hasan Askari, a former professor of political science at Lahore's Punjab university, told AFP.
"His options are not as big as in the past, so he needs to be visualised as a civilised ruler and had major opposition parties boycotted elections, it would have seriously damaged his legitimacy," he said.
Musharraf could still be in trouble however if Sharif's and Benazir Bhutto's parties do well at the polls, Askari said.
The newly civilian president needs a two-thirds majority in parliament to indemnify the November 3 state of emergency and suspension of the constitution -- without which he risks impeachment.
"His ability to function would be greatly undermined if his opponents come with a reasonable majority in the parliament because he is no more the army chief," he said.
"It would be difficult for him to get parliamentary endorsements for his actions since November 3 emergency rule and then there will be another crisis," he added.
Former general-turned political analyst Talat Masood agreed that Sharif's move to join the fray would legitimise the elections -- but in a way that would help democracy in the volatile nuclear-armed nation.
"In the long term it will benefit democracy and weaken the autocratic forces," Masood said.
"It will further energise the election process and put life into a campaign which has so far been dull."
Masood said Sharif had taken a "prudent decision" and that his absence would have marginalised him.
"There will be common interest to make the election process as fair as possible. It will increase pressure on the government to hold, free and fair elections," he added.