Most Dangerous Trouble Spot In The World Update

Pakistan apparently has a power sharing agreement in place between Benazir Bhutto and Pervez Musharraf, but first Musharraf has to get legally elected President, which the Supreme Court is at least slowing down:

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - On the eve of Pakistan's presidential vote, the country's highest court ruled Friday that no winner can be declared until it decides whether President Gen. Pervez Musharraf is an eligible candidate. Musharraf pushed toward an alliance with a former premier signing an amnesty clearing her of corruption charges [...]

His opponents in Saturday's presidential election are contesting whether he can run for office while still serving as army chief, claiming it is unconstitutional. They had asked the Supreme Court to delay the vote.

In a ruling Friday, presiding Justice Javed Iqbal said the vote by the national and provincial assemblies could take place on schedule. But he said the official results could only be announced after it had ruled on the petitions.

He said hearings will resume on Oct. 17 — meaning that even if Musharraf receives the most votes, as widely expected, he would have to wait at least 11 days before knowing whether he could take up office.

Meanwhile there was another suicide bombing in the country this week, with threats made about "hundreds" more between now and national parliamentary elections. This is a crucial time for Pakistan, and the conclusion is very unsettled. There will be popular resistance to another Musharraf Presidency from both pro-democracy forces and Islamists. That could presage a lot of violence. Just because the figureheads agree to share power doesn't mean the rest of the country does.