Pakistani coalition prepares to hobble Musharraf

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's ruling party aims to push a set of constitutional changes through parliament in coming weeks to clip President Pervez Musharraf's powers to dismiss the government, the law minister said.
After seizing control in a bloodless coup as a general in 1999, Musharraf single-handedly ruled Pakistan for more than eight years until February elections, when the defeat of allies left him isolated without parliamentary support.
The new coalition government, led by the party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, aims to curb Musharraf's authority, already diminished by his resignation from the powerful position of army chief in November.
Bhutto's widower and political successor, Asif Ali Zardari, made a pact with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to restore the judges sacked by Musharraf after imposing a brief period of emergency rule in November.
Sharif, who pulled his party out of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's cabinet last week to protest over Zardari's foot-dragging, wants the judges brought back immediately and unconditionally.
Zardari wants to link their reinstatement to a constitutional amendment that Law Minister Farooq Naek told Reuters has now been prepared.
The thrust of the changes will be to give the elected prime minister more power, and make the judiciary more independent.
"We have proposed repeal of the 58-2 (b) to maintain balance of power between the president and prime minister," Naek told Reuters, referring to the clause that gives the president the right to dismiss a government.
Naek said Zardari would consult his own party and allies, including Sharif, before the package is put before parliament.
The minister said he expected the package to be presented before the annual budget session, due next month.
Struggle To Get Two-Thirds
The ruling coalition is currently short of the two-thirds majority it needs in the two-chamber parliament to pass a constitutional amendment.
Analysts believed the government could muster support from smaller parties to push through the package, but it had to overcome strains within its own ranks before presenting the bill.
"I think a lot of politicking will be done to create a consensus before this package is presented in the parliament. The government may face difficulties in evolving a consensus on it," said Hasan Askari Rizvi, professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington.
The political uncertainty has taken its toll on the economy.
The rupee has fallen to all-time lows this month, and the stock market has retreated close to 12 percent, sharply down from life highs on April 21.
Moody's rating agency on Wednesday joined Standard & Poor's in downgrading Pakistani debt to five notches below investment grade. At least Moody's gave Pakistan a stable outlook.
S&P had opted for a negative outlook partly out of concern that unstable politics would interfere with policy-making.
A spokesman for Sharif's party, Siddiq-ul-Farooq, said it would not support linking restoration of judges with the constitutional package, but the party would vote for any constitutional amendments that reversed changes made by Musharraf to give himself sweeping powers.
Sharif wants the judges restored as a first move towards driving Musharraf from power, whereas Zardari is suspected of harbouring reservations about some judges.
A restored Supreme Court could reopen legal challenges to Musharraf's re-election in October by outgoing legislators while he was still army chief.