Ruling party expects Pakistan elections to be postponed by 3 or 4 months

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Pakistan's crucial Jan. 8 parliamentary elections are likely to be postponed by up to three or four months following the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, a spokesman for the ruling party said Sunday. Tariq Azim, information secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q, said the vote would lose credibility if it was held now, with Bhutto's party in mourning and other opposition groups intent on boycotting. He expected authorities to announce a delay within 24 hours. "How long the postponement will be for will up to the Election Commission," he told The Associated Press. "I think we are looking at a delay of a few weeks ... of up to three or four months." Meanwhile, an opposition party official said supporters of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto have begun meeting to choose her successor and discuss whether to boycott the parliamentary elections.