Imran Khan’s party begins coalition talks as rivals plan protests

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ISLAMABAD, July 28, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Imran Khan’s party said it has begun
talks with independents and small parties to form a coalition government
after a resounding triumph in Pakistan’s general election, as rival parties
planned protests over alleged vote rigging.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) won 116 seats in Wednesday’s
ballot, short of the 137 needed for a simple majority but a surprisingly
strong showing that helped fuel suspicion of rigging.

The latest tally, which was updated Saturday afternoon following long
delays, showed the outgoing Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party in
distant second place with 64 seats.

Khan’s party has begun reaching out to potential coalition partners to form
a government, according to spokesman Fawad Chaudhry, a task that analysts
said should be straightforward.

“We have contacted small parties and independent members, they will soon
meet party leaders in Islamabad,” Chaudhry said late Friday, adding that the
process was likely to take about 10 days.

Chaudhry’s comments followed an announcement by rival parties vowing to
launch a protest “movement”, after foreign observers voiced concerns about
the contest.

More than a dozen parties calling themselves the All Parties Conference
(APC) promised to protest over the results.

However the group remained divided with some parties pledging to boycott
joining the National Assembly and others calling for a new vote.

The PML-N announced its support for the group but stopped short of saying
it would boycott the new parliament.

And the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), which was notably absent from the
APC, said in a separate announcement that it rejected the results, but vowed
to try to convince the other parties to participate in the parliamentary
process.

– ‘No stamina’ –

Retired general and analyst Talat Masood said the APC may succeed in
sparking pockets of unrest but did not see the movement upsetting stability
at the national level.

“Opposition parties are divided and they are not genuinely in a mood to
form any major opposition. I don’t think they have this stamina and the
support of the people for going for a big movement,” said Masood.

The protests announcement late Friday came as the United States, the
European Union and other observers aired reservations over widespread claims
that the powerful military had tried to fix the playing field in Khan’s
favour.

Khan’s victory represents an end to decades of rotating leadership between
the PML-N and the Bhutto dynasty’s PPP that was punctuated by periods of
military rule.

The vote was meant to be a rare democratic transition in the Muslim
country, which has been ruled by the powerful army for roughly half its
history.

But it was marred by violence and allegations of military interference in
the months leading up to the vote, with Khan seen as the beneficiary.

The former cricket star will face myriad challenges, including militant
extremism, an economic crisis with speculation that Pakistan will have to
seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund, water shortages and a
booming population.

He will also have to contend with the same issue as many of his
predecessors: how to maintain a balance of power in civil-military relations.