파키스탄 대법원은 페르베스 무샤라프 대통령의 피선거권에 관한 여섯 건의 소송들 가운데 마지막 소송을 기각했습니다.
이로써 파키스탄군 총사령관직을 겸하고 있는 무샤라프 대통령이 민간 대통령으로서 통치하는 길이 열리게 됐습니다.
파키스탄의 말리크 카윰 법무장관은 대법원의 마지막 소송 기각에 따라 선거관리 위원회가 무샤라프 대통령의 당선을 확정하게 됐으며 무샤라프 대통령은 빠르면 24일쯤 군총사령관직을 사임할 예정이라고 말했습니다.
그러나 크리켓 선수출신 재야 지도자인 이므란 칸은 22일, 내년 1월 실시되는 의회 총선거를 보이콧한다고 밝히는 등 야당 정치인들은 무샤라프 대통령의 비상사태 선포에 계속 항의하고 있습니다.
한편, 영연방회원국 외무장관들은 22일, 파키스탄의 영연방회원국 자격정지 여부를 의결합니다.
파키스탄은 영연방에게 파키스탄의 회원국 자격정지에 관한 표결을 연기해주도록 요청했으나 돈 맥키논 영연방 사무총장은 영연방의 격년 정상회의가 열리는 22일 늦게 표결이 실시된다고 밝혔습니다.
파키스탄은 무샤라프 장군이 쿠데타로 정권을 장악했던 1999년에도 영연방 회원국 자격을 정지당했다가 5년뒤 회복됐습니다.
*****
Pakistan's Supreme Court has cleared a final legal hurdle for President Pervez Musharraf, paving the way for him to rule as a civilian president.
The president's hand-picked Supreme Court today (Thursday) dismissed the sixth legal challenge to General Musharraf's re-election.
Pakistan's attorney general (Malik Qayyum) says the court's decision allows the election commission to certify his victory, and President Musharraf could step down as head of the military as early as Saturday.
Opposition leaders continue to protest President's Musharraf's November third imposition of emergency rule. Former cricket star and opposition leader Imran Khan today (Thursday) became the first to announce a boycott of the upcoming January eighth parliamentary elections.
Khan, who was released from prison on Wednesday, says political parties should not participate in "fraudulent" elections that would legitimize emergency rule.
Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto and her Pakistan People's Party say they are waiting to see whether President Musharraf steps down as military leader and restores democratic rule -- before deciding on a boycott of the election.
Foreign ministers of the Commonwealth are due to vote today (Thursday) on whether to suspend Pakistan for its imposition of emergency rule.
Pakistan has asked the 53-nation group to postpone the vote. But Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon told reporters that the vote will take place late in the day, on the eve of the biennial Commonwealth summit in Uganda.
More than 50 heads of state and government are expected to attend the gathering, which consists mostly of Britain and her former colonies. The official head of the Commonwealth, Britain's Queen Elizabeth, arrived in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, on Wednesday.
Pakistan was last kicked out of the Commonwealth in 1999, after General Pervez Musharraf seized power in a coup. The group reinstated Pakisan five years later.
In addition to Pakistan, meeting participants are expected to discuss key trade issues and climate change.