Musharraf meets senators

In what appears to be the formal launching of his re-election campaign, President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday met the ruling coalition senators at a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. Given his pressing engagements and the low-key, non-financial powers the Senate has under the Constitution, over the past couple of years the contact between the President and the senators has not been frequent.
Although the Constitution envisages his address to the joint session of the parliament which includes the Senate, and he also is empowered to send messages to the upper house, that has not happened. This is ironic, because according to the Constitution, the President "shall represent the unity of the Republic", which is reflected in the composition of the Senate more sharply than in any other institution of the state.
But, now that rapport with the Senate has become inevitable, because its 100 members form about 14 percent of the electoral college that elects the President. Of these 100, about 56 senators sit on the treasury benches and are potential supporters of President Pervez Musharraf, though secret polling may inject some unforeseeable upsets in the pattern of voting.
Watching proceedings of both the National Assembly and the Senate from the Ringside Seat over some years, one may conclude that quality of debate in the upper house has been much better than in the next-door lower house. The Senators, especially from the opposition side, strongly pitch in for the rights of their provinces.
With that background in mind, naturally the President's interaction with the ruling coalition senators was profound and thoughtful. He told them that in his bid to get re-elected he would act strictly within the confines of the Constitution and "parameters of the judgement of the Supreme Court".
Expressing his belief that the three pillars of state - legislature, executive and judiciary - must work within their constitutional spheres, he hoped their harmonious cooperation would help maintain and even accelerate the economic gains made during the past eight years.
If re-elected, during his next term he promised to start work on some major dams, a task he pledged to undertake soon after his take-over in 1999 but could not due to stiff opposition, emerging from fierce and often thought provoking debate in the Senate.
Of late, one has detected signs of rising hopes in the government quarters that the apex court would endorse eligibility of President Musharraf for re-election from the existing electoral college. The President's solemn commitment to senators that he would abide by the verdict of the Supreme Court is seen as a strong reflection of that growing perception.
More importantly, however, the President's pledge tends to alleviate the tension that has permeated allover in view of the opposition's very vocally aired fears that he would not accept the Supreme Court decision on his eligibility.
The reports that the ruling coalition may put up covering candidates for President Musharraf also convey the same message that he would accept the verdict of the apex court if it went against him. How would the lawyers' fraternity react to it, if the court allows the President to seek re-election? That is the question left to be answered. Indeed, very soon a Hobson's choice is going to confront the legal community and the civil society.