Real democratic era begins: Musharraf

Embattled President Pervez Musharraf Sunday said that a real democratic era had begun in his country following elections and he would give full support to the new government.
Musharraf's opponents trounced his allies in February 18 general elections and the new coalition government appears set for a confrontation after vowing to reinstate judges whom the president sacked during a state of emergency in November.
"My brothers and sisters, you are seeing that a real democratic era has begun in Pakistan," Musharraf said addressing the Pakistan Day military parade in capital Islamabad. Musharraf, who grabbed power in October 1999 after overthrowing the government of Nawaz Sharif in a bloodless coup, took credit for the average seven percent economic growth during the past eight years.
"We are proud that during the past eight years, not only we laid the foundation of a real democracy, but we also put Pakistan on the path of progress and prosperity," he said.
Musharraf is set to swear in new premier Yousuf Raza Gilani Tuesday from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of slain ex-premier Benazir Bhutto, which is forming the coalition with Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League.
Bhutto was killed in a suicide and gun attack on December 27 in Rawalpindi and had stayed in exile in London and Dubai during Musharraf's military rule. Musharraf has repeatedly said that he will work with the new government, refusing to quit over the defeat of his allies.
"Whichever new government is formed, it will have my full support," he reiterated, saying that he hoped that it would maintain peace, economic growth and vigorously combat terrorism and extremism.
Western governments are closely watching the political scene in Pakistan amid concerns that instability will hurt the fight against al Qaeda and Taliban militants behind a wave of recent violence.
A New York Times report that Bhutto's widower and party co-chairman Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif intend to start negotiations with militants in the hope of ending a spate of bombings has caused further jitters in the West.