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S U B C O N T I N E N T A L   D R I F T
Musharraf Talks the Talk
But he walks in a different direction
By APARISIM GHOSH

December 2, 1999
Web posted at 4 a.m. Hong Kong time, 3 p.m. EDT


Now the dictator claims to be a democrat at heart. In last week's interview with TIME, Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf said he wanted his country to have "a true democracy," as opposed to the "sham democracy" he overthrew Oct. 12. He didn't indicate when and how his military government would produce this "true" democracy. Why? Because he knows it will never happen.

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Despite his pious pronouncements, it's far from certain that Musharraf wants a democracy, true or not. After all, he was perfectly happy to go along with the version he now calls a sham until he was sacked by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. His heart began to bleed for Pakistan only after he heard of his dismissal.

And his actions since the coup can hardly be described as those of a democrat. Sure, he has moved against some prominent bank-loan defaulters and tax evaders. But most dictators start off their rule by shooting at soft targets. What better way to earn cheers from the people than by locking up a few rich folks? Pakistanis, disgusted by Sharif's excesses, were thirsting for grand gestures. The general obliged.

But Musharraf's true nature is, I suspect, displayed in his behavior toward his former boss. Coup leaders throughout history have sought to eliminate the rulers they have overthrown--by the most expeditious means possible. Musharraf is clearly no exception. Not for him the laborious (and fair) process of proving that Sharif was corrupt and incompetent. Instead, he's trying to have the former PM hung for allegedly trying to kidnap and murder the general himself. In other words, what Sharif tried to do to Musharraf was more heinous (and therefore deserving of more immediate judicial attention) than what Sharif did to the Pakistan. This points to another trait Musharraf shares with all dictators: an oversized ego.

Ironically, the general may end up making a martyr of the man believed by many to be Pakistan's dirtiest politician ever. If he had focused his attention on proving the many allegations of graft and venality against Sharif, Musharraf may have been able to justify (however weakly) his coup. Instead, Sharif's supporters can now claim their man is being tried on a trumped-up charge because his enemies can't prove he was corrupt. That brings us to another characteristic of dictators: they aren't very smart.

That Musharraf currently enjoys widespread public support in Pakistan is neither here nor there. After all, Sharif was similarly popular less then three years ago; unlike the general, he proved it by winning a general election--by a landslide, no less. Musharraf, on the other hand, has already withdrawn his promise to hold a referendum. Armies all over the world have a word to describe generals who retreat from their positions. Hint: it isn't "democrat."

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