Charter of Democracy in peril

Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari is breaking the Charter of Democracy that Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif had signed in 2006.

Zardari wants to keep the bad provisions inserted in the constitution by dictators, because it would be politically inexpedient to remove them as his party had promised. At issue is mainly Section 58-2(b), which makes it easy for the president to topple a democratically elected government.

If Zardari were to keep to the agreement, then Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) has promised to support Zardari's PPP. If these two parties were to work together, they could bring the Pakistan Army under control at last. Nawaz Sharif is willing, but Zardari is not.

The Bush administration must make it clear to Zardari that he must follow through.