Pakistani President elect Asif Ali Zardari (centre), head of the ruling Pakistan People's Party and widower of two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, is congratulated by party members during a celebration dinner at the prime minister's residence in Islamabad, Pakistan, yesterday. The widower of slain former premier Benazir Bhutto became Pakistan's new president Saturday, after winning a landslide election victory that makes him a critical partner of the West against international terrorism. - AP ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP):
Benazir Bhutto's widower swept Pakistan's presidential election yesterday, offering hope for stability to a nuclear-armed country flirting with economic disaster and feeling intense US pressure to crack down on Islamic militants.
In a grim reminder of the pro-blems awaiting Asif Ali Zardari, while his supporters celebrated by brandishing portraits of his slain wife, rescuers in the northwest dug with their hands for survivors after at least 30 people died in a massive suicide bombing.
Already head of the main ruling party, Zardari becomes one of the most powerful civilian leaders in Pakistan's turbulent 61-year history. Last month, he marshalled a coalition that forced stalwart US ally Pervez Musharraf to quit as head of state.
However, he begins with limited goodwill among a population who recalls his nickname, Mr Ten Percent, for alleged corruption during Bhutto's two terms in office and doubt his political vision and leadership skills.
international stage
He is also untested on the international stage, where he must deal with mounting Western concern over how Taliban and al-Qaida militants have nested in the tribal belt along the Afghan border.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was looking forward to working with Zardari.
"I've been impressed by some of the things he has said about the challenges that Pakistan faces, about the centrality of fighting terrorism," Rice told reporters on a trip to North Africa, "about the fact that the terrorism fight is Pakistan's fight and also his very strong words of friendship and alliance with the United States."
Zardari made no mention of those topics as he savoured his triumph over Musharraf, during whose reign he sat for years in jail on graft charges that never produced a conviction.
A beaming Zardari hugged and shook hands with supporters and well-wishers gathering for a dinner Saturday in the gardens of the prime minister's residence on a hill overlooking the capital.
In a brief speech, he rejected criticism that he would be a divisive leader and took a swipe at Musharraf.
"To those who would say that the People's Party or the presidency would be controversial under our guardianship, under our stewardship, I would say listen to democracy," he said.
military rulers
Echoing one of Bhutto's favourite slogans, he called democracy "the best revenge" against military rulers.
Zardari has surprised many with his ability to concentrate power since his wife was killed in a December gun-and-bomb attack blamed on Taliban militants and he inherited her party's leadership.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party abandoned the coalition and switched to the opposition last month. But Zardari quickly won support from smaller parties, suggesting he could provide some stability as the country faces soaring inflation, power shortages and widening trade and budget deficits.
Yesterday's voting bore that out.
