Islamabad, February 20
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has rejected demands for his resignation in the wake of the electoral drubbing of his allies in the parliamentary polls and hoped to avoid any ‘clashes’ between him and the new Prime Minister in running the affairs of the country.

In an interview with US daily Wall Street Journal, Musharraf was asked by the paper whether he would resign or retire. Musharraf said: “No, not yet. We have to move forward in a way that we bring about a stable democratic government to Pakistan.”

“I would like to function with any party and any coalition because that is in the interest of Pakistan,” Musharraf said, declining to say whether he was concerned his opponents would try to oust him.

Demand for his resignation has grown in the wake of the humiliating rout suffered by his allies at the hands of parties who oppose his policies and rule. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has said Musharraf should honour his word that he would quit if people so wanted. He said the people has spoken in the elections and Musharraf should respond.

PPP co-chairman Asif Zardari told BBC that the people were waiting for Musharraf to bow down to their verdict and leave the political scene.

Musharraf told the paper that it was time for all concerned to adopt conciliatory attitude for harmony as confrontation would jeopardise national interests. “We have to go for conciliatory politics and harmonious interaction within the government, between various parties and between the prime minister and the government. I will strive towards that end. On the other side, I can’t say.”

Responding to another question, Musharraf said the president has no mandate to share governing power with the prime minister. “The prime minister runs the government,” he added. “The clash would be if the prime minister and president would be trying to get rid of each other. I only hope we would avoid these clashes.”

The Pakistani President said he has not met either Sharif, the chief of PML-N, or Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan People’s Party since the election.

“I’m not heading a political party. Let the political parties meet with each other and form a coalition,” he said.

“If anyone thinks I can facilitate in a positive way for Pakistan, I would like to do it,” Musharraf said.

Musharraf also made it known that there was no possible way in which the sacked Chief Justice of the Pakistan Supreme Court and other deposed judges could be brought back.

“Legally there’s no way this can be done. I can’t even imagine how this is doable,” he said.

At a time when questions are being raised in Washington on the implications of the election result on American foreign policy, especially as it related to the war on terror, Musharraf argued that relationships between two countries are not tied to individuals and it is in the interest of Pakistan to fight terrorism and extremism.

“I don’t think relationships between nations are tied to individuals. There are mutual, national interests that lead to personal relationships. It’s not the other way around. It’s the mutual interests in the region, especially the fight against terrorism, that has led to our strategic relationship.

“Now it is broad based, and long-term. So it is an issue-related relationship, which has led to a personal relationship with President (George W) Bush, and I cherish the relationship,” he said.

Senator Barack Obama dealt a significant blow to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential dreams on Tuesday by decisively winning the Wisconsin primary and Hawaii caucuses - his ninth and 10th consecutive victories over the former first lady.

In the Republican race, Senator John McCain emerged the winner defeating former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in Wisconsin and Washington State.

With 99 per cent of the precincts in Wisconsin reporting, Obama had about 58 per cent of the vote to Clinton’s 41 per cent. In Hawaii, where Obama was born and still has some family, with all precincts reporting, the Illinois senator received roughly 76 per cent of the vote, to 24 per cent for Clinton. On the Republican side, McCain had 55 per cent to Huckabee’s 37 per cent.

The string of victories for Obama means the next set of Democratic contests could prove decisive. Obama has steadily chipped away at Clinton’s base picking up the support of more blue-collar, older voters, women and whites. He won 53 per cent of Wisconsin’s white voters compared to 41 per cent of those voting on Super Tuesday. He also won 48 per cent of women in Wisconsin compared to 41 per cent on Super Tuesday.

Both candidates are short of the 2,025 delegates needed to win the nomination, and it is very likely the 796 super delegates - present and former lawmakers and party officials - will ultimately decide who will be chosen as the Democratic presidential nominee.

On March 4, Democratic voters in Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Vermont will decide whom they want to represent the party in the November presidential elections.

With Wisconsin and Hawaii in his bag, Obama now has 1,303 delegates, compared with 1,233 for Clinton, according to an Associated Press estimate. A candidate must win 2,025 delegates to win the nomination at the party’s national convention in Denver in August. Clinton’s supporters say she must win at least one of the March 4 contests to remain competitive.

Both Clinton and Obama promptly shifted their focus to these states on Tuesday night. Obama was greeted by a raucous crowd of supporters in Houston.

“Thank you Texas,” he said as the crowd chanted his campaign slogan “Yes we can!” The crowd went wild as the Illinois senator told them: “Houston, I think we’ve achieved lift-off here.”

At a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, Clinton, in an attempt to diffuse the enthusiasm surrounding her rival’s historic candidacy, told voters both she and Obama would make history. If he were to win the presidential nomination and election in November, Obama would be the first black president of America. Similarly, Clinton has a shot at becoming the first female US President.

“But only one of us is ready on day one to be commander in chief, ready to manage our economy and ready to defeat the Republicans. Only one of us has spent 35 years being a doer, a fighter and a champion for those who need a voice,” Clinton said.

Kuala Lumpur, February 20
Malaysia’s biggest ethnic Indian party will field its combative leader in next month’s national election, the party said today, despite growing dissatisfaction in the community over his leadership. The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a partner in Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s ruling coalition, also kept most of its old guard as candidates for the March 8 election, it said.

The Barisan Nasional coalition is widely tipped to retain power at the polls, although with a reduced majority, with many Indians accusing the multi-racial coalition, dominated by ethnic Malays, of racial discrimination.

Topping the MIC candidates’ list is its long-serving leader, S. Samy Vellu, who told reporters the polls could be one of his biggest political tests since he took over the party in 1979.

He said he had no immediate plans to quit politics despite conceding that he was falling out of favour with Indians.

More than 10,000 ethnic Indians marched in the capital last November in an unprecedented rally to complain about a lack of job and education opportunities.

Last weekend, some 300 Hindraf supporters staged a street protest in the capital to demand for the release of their leaders before police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse them.

Malaysian Sikh leader’s sons may contest Karpal Singh, a prominent Malaysian Sikh leader, may ask two of his four sons to fight the upcoming parliamentary elections, the media reported. Singh, a lawyer and MP, heads the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP).

Sikhs constitute a distinct Indian origin group in Malaysia, located especially in the peninsula region and are estimated to number about 100,000. Although Karpal Singh declined to disclose if his sons, Jagdeep Singh Deo (37), and Gobind Singh Deo (35), have been confirmed as candidates, he indicated that both could be fielded, a newspaper said.

“They are both strong potential candidates,” he said, adding that the party’s selection committee would take the final decision. — IANS

Jakarta, February 20
A powerful earthquake struck western Indonesia today, killing three people and injuring 25 others, officials said. A tsunami warning was briefly triggered, but no waves were detected.

The US geological survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 and struck under the island of Simeulue off the western coast of Sumatra - the region worst hit in the 2004 tsunami.

Rustam Pakaya, the head of the Indonesian health ministry’s disaster center, said “many” buildings on Simeulue were damaged and three people were killed. He said at least 25 others were seriously injured.

Meanwhile, rough sea and high tide scared people of Thengaipatinam village in the coastal district of Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu today. Official sources said the boats on the seashore were swept away by the high tides and walls of the houses near the shore also collapsed.

An Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) said there was no possibility of a tsunami hitting any Indian region following the massive undersea earthquake off Sumatra that caused damage in Indonesia. — Agencies