Brown presses Musharraf on 'credible polls'

Workers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) install a billboard for the general elections scheduled for February, in Karachi, late Monday. Pakistani opposition leader Imran Khan told AFP his country could do with taking a lesson in democracy from rival neighbour India as he dismissed the chances of a transparent elections next month in Pakistan.Photo: AFP

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Monday that next month's elections had to be credible, insisting the country's stability was vital for South Asia.
Brown's call came as demonstrators staged angry protests against Musharraf's visit to London, at the end of a week-long trip to Europe aimed at reassuring leaders about the transparency of the delayed February 18 vote.
"Credible elections" were "essential", Brown said at a joint news conference following what he called "very productive" talks with a "key ally" in combating terrorism and extremism.
"I urged President Musharraf to engage with all political parties in Pakistan for a peaceful, democratic future for the country," he said at his Downing Street office.
"A stable Pakistan is essential for the security of the South Asia region."
Musharraf had assured him that processes were in place to ensure transparent polling, Brown said.
The world's priority had to be ensuring "that the democratic process remains on track", he added.
Musharraf voiced a "strong desire" to hold the parliamentary elections, postponed in the wake of the December 27 assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.
"I am very sure that we will have a peaceful transition and we will have a strong democratic government following the February 18 election," he added.
The Guardian daily in its Tuesday edition said that it did not doubt Musharraf's sincerity, but the issue was "whether he is truly in touch with what is happening in his country."
"Mr Musharraf conflates his destiny with Pakistan's. The two are synonymous in his eyes. He may have shed his military uniform but not his belief that he is the ultimate arbiter of order.
"He claims the elections will be free and fair and that he will work with whoever is able to form the next government. We shall see.
"Pakistan is in the eye of the storm."
Outside, some 400 anti-Musharraf protestors, including opposition leader Imran Khan and his ex-wife Jemima, disagreed as they angrily demonstrated about Musharraf's presence.
As a far smaller number of Musharraf supporters cheered, opponents booed and waved their fists as his motorcade arrived.