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Congress is closely watching Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf’s next moves after a parliamentary election dealt a blow to his political allies and could threaten his presidency.
Democrats will face decisions in the coming months on how to shape foreign aid to Pakistan and with it U.S. policy toward the critical ally in the volatile region.
On Tuesday the Pakistan People’s Party — which was led by ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto until her assassination in December — seemed to have won the most seats, and with another opposition party would likely hold the majority. Musharraf said he would stand by the results and pledged to work with whoever takes control.
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised the ability of a moderate Pakistani majority to gain a strong stake in the political system.
As a result, Congress should invest more money into building a democratic Pakistan, Biden said from Islamabad, where together with senior panel members Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) he observed the parliamentary elections on Monday.
“I believe we should triple non-military assistance, sustain it for 10 years and focus it on schools, roads and healthcare,” Biden said in a statement. Economic aid could triple to $1.5 billion, he said.
“We should give the new government a democracy dividend above our annual assistance to jump-start progress. And we should demand real accountability for the military aid we continue to provide,” Biden added.
Congress is not likely to approve military aid without placing restrictions on it, according to several Pakistan observers.
Biden said that the election was not “fully free and fair” but that election day “went much better than many expected.” Meanwhile the process leading up to election day was “seriously flawed,” Biden added, referring to a climate of violence and intimidation that depressed voter turnout at a time when they also had problems with voter rolls.
“Although the official results have not been tallied, the elections represent a huge step in Pakistan’s march toward democracy and should enhance bilateral relations between the United States and Pakistan,” said Mark Tavlarides, a vice president at Van Scoyoc Associates who represents Pakistan’s embassy in Washington.
The prospect of more financial aid for Pakistan also comes with a caveat from lawmakers: Pakistani leaders have to restore constitutional order, including a free press, an independent judiciary and decision-making power for the parliament and government.
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