Departing Musharraf means stability: RI

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta, August 20, 2008

The Indonesian government believes the resignation of Pakistan's former president Pervez Musharraf will bring greater stability to Pakistan -- a key U.S. ally in its fight against global terrorism.

Foreign Ministry's Director for South and Central Asia Mohamad Asruchin said he expected the resignation and the ensuing process of succession would "have a positive impact on South Asian stability".

"Musharraf's resignation was the only way to end Pakistan's political turmoil. We hope the Pakistani government will now focus on improving its economic environment," he said.

Musharraf announced his departure from political life Monday after mounting pressure from the government coalition led by the party of assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The fractious coalition had threatened to impeach Musharraf who seized power in a coup nine years ago.

The United States has said Pakistan's leadership was an internal issue but it would continue to help the nation fight terrorism.

Asruchin said Indonesia was not worried about the terrorism challenges in Pakistan as it believed whoever is chosen to lead the nation would remain committed to tackling the security problems in South Asia.

University of Indonesia international relations expert Hariyadi Wirawan said it was feared the resignation of powerful but moderate Musharraf would trigger more chaos in the conflict-ravaged South Asian country.

"Musharraf's resignation was predictable as the military had begun to withdraw its support of him.

"However, our concern is that Musharraf's resignation will enable right-wing groups to rise to power, just what the United States did not expect in its fight against terrorism," Hariyadi said.

Media reports say Musharraf resigned after negotiations with his coalition foes produced terms that would hold him unaccountable from any charges related to his six weeks of emergency rule last year.