BIDEN Issues Statement from Islamabad on Pakistan's Elections

Press Release

BIDEN Issues Statement from Islamabad on Pakistan's Elections

Following Monday's elections in Pakistan, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) issued the following statement from Islamabad, Pakistan today:

"Pakistan has taken a very important step on the road back to democracy. Was this election fully free and fair? No. Election Day itself went much better than many expected. But the process leading up to Election Day was seriously flawed: a climate of violence and intimidation almost certainly depressed turnout; there were real problems with the voter rolls; we still have to make sure all the votes are fairly tabulated; in a truly free election, the opposition parties might have done even better.

"Despite these serious handicaps, it appears that the will of the moderate majority is becoming reality. The most important test for the election is whether the Pakistani people see its results as basically fair. Right now, that appears to be the case.

"The leaders of the major parties deserve praise for bringing Pakistan to this point. So do the election observers from around the world, including from the United States, whose presence helped keep Election Day itself honest.

"Most important, of course, are the people of Pakistan. They are responsible for what has the potential to be a peaceful and historic transfer of power from one government to another. This election represents a tremendous opportunity for Pakistan and for the United States.

"For Pakistan, nothing is more important than giving the moderate majority a clear voice and stake in the system. Without that, dissent gets channeled underground and the moderates end up making common cause with the extremists. We've been down that road before, in Iran, and it leads nowhere good.

"The moderate majority has regained it voice. Now, it is the responsibility of all Pakistan's leaders to focus on the future and restore constitutional order, including a free press, an independent judiciary and decision making power for the parliament and government.

"If they do, the United States should do much, much more to help them.

"This is an opportunity for us to move from a policy focused on a personality to one based on an entire people - to move from a Musharraf policy to a Pakistan policy.

"I believe we should triple non-military assistance, sustain it for ten years and focus it on schools, roads and health care. 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.

"In short, we should demonstrate to the people of Pakistan that we are not simply partners when it matters to us - that we care about their needs and progress, not just our own interests.

"That happens to be the best way to secure their active support for the things we care about, including taking the fight to Al Qaeda and the Taliban."

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