ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The election Commission of Pakistan ratified Saturday the election of Pervez Musharraf for a second 5-year term, clearing the way for the general to become a civilian leader, a spokesman said.
"We have issued a notification about the success of Pervez Musharraf in the presidential election," said Kanwar Dilshad, spokesman for the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Musharraf was chosen by Pakistan's parliament for a new term in October, but the country's Supreme Court had put a hold on the results after receiving a number of complaints from rival candidates who argued that the constitution banned military officers from contesting presidential ballots.
On Nov. 3, however, Musharraf declared a state of emergency and purged justices opposed to his candidacy, replacing them with his allies in the judiciary. On Friday, the newly reconstituted Supreme Court duly confirmed his right to stand and instructed the electoral panel to officially ratify the election result.
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