US in hush-hush talks over power sharing in Pakistan

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States is discussing with key political players in Pakistan amid reported moves by Washington to get President Pervez Musharraf to share power with opposition rival Benazir Bhutto, officials said yesterday.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed the power-sharing arrangement idea in a telephone call to military ruler Musharraf last week, the New York Times reported yesterday, quoting American and Pakistani officials.

Former premier Bhutto also has been holding talks in recent weeks with senior officials of President George W. Bush's administration, including US envoy to the UN Zalmay Khalilzad, the paper said.

US officials believe that an alliance with Bhutto would be Musharraf's best chance of remaining president, the report said, noting declining domestic support for the military general, a key US "war on terror" ally.

The White House said yesterday that top US officials had met with major Pakistani political players in an effort to bring about "a moderate political center" and free and fair elections there.

"We support free and fair elections in Pakistan. We have met with various parties there. This is ultimately decisions for the people of Pakistan to make," said national security council spokesman Gordon Johndroe in Crawford as Bush took a vacation on his Texas ranch.

"What the United States wants to see is a peaceful, prosperous, secure, stable Pakistan -- that's in the interests of the Pakistanis, the interests of the region, and interests of the whole world. We want to see a moderate political center form there, following democratic processes," he added.

But Johndroe stopped short of confirming reports that Washington was prodding Musharraf to share power with Bhutto.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack also said that US officials had talked to various parties in Pakistan about the political process.

But any decisions of "political deals, political arrangements" should be made by Pakistanis and the individuals involved in such outcome, he said.

He refused to give any details of "as for the who, what, when and where of discussions" on the political situation in Pakistan.

Washington is reportedly worried that Musharraf, who seized power in a bloodless coup in 1999, could eventually be toppled and replaced by a leader who might be less reliable as a guardian of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and as an ally against terrorism.

"We do believe it is the interest of continuing the kinds of political reforms that you have seen General Musharraf implement to see the moderate center of Pakistani politics as a way to address any extremist elements within Pakistan," McCormack said.

The Times, quoting several unnamed officials of President George W. Bush's administration American officials, said the "first step" under the power sharing deal could be a decision by Musharraf to allow open parliamentary polls next month as Bhutto's party appeared poised to win the largest share of the vote.

A victory by her party could pave the way for Bhutto to become prime minister, but she would probably need Musharraf's support to overcome "further obstacles," including a law prohibiting former prime ministers from returning to that office, the paper said.

Bhutto's support could be crucial to helping Musharraf to victory in subsequent presidential elections that would allow him to stay in his current job, according to the report.

Bhutto, who has been living in London and Dubai, met with Musharraf in an unannounced session in Abu Dhabi on July 27, but neither has publicly admitted to the meeting.