Musharraf Wins Contested Vote

Pervez  Musharraf all but swept the presidential balloting in Pakistan's parliament and four provincial assemblies today. But he won't  be declared the winner in his highly contested bid for re-election until the Supreme Court rules on the legality of the voting. The court has given itself until Oct. 17 to consider opposition petitions claiming that the constitution doesn't allow him to run as both president and general.

Musharraf has agreed to give up his post as general only after re-election, as part of a  power-sharing agreement negotiated with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.  Bhutto plans to return to Pakistan from exile the day after courts rule on Musharraf’s presidency. As part of the deal, corruption charges were dropped against her; members of her party abstained from voting in today's election.