Zardari party leads Pakistan polls

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's beleaguered ruling political party has made gains in the Senate elections, unofficial results indicate. They show that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) won 19 seats, becoming the largest party. The main opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party led by Nawaz Sharif secured 14 seats. Analysts say it is a big boost for Zardari and his government, who have recently been under pressure from the judiciary and the powerful military. They are in conflict over a leaked memo suggesting that President Zardari wanted to ask the US government for support to prevent a possible coup, during the turmoil, which followed the killing of Osama Bin Laden. The Supreme Court has also tried to force Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to have corruption proceedings reopened against Zardari. Several leaders of the PPP earlier accused the opposition of conspiring to stop Friday's elections. Elections are being held for 45 senators in the 104-member chamber. They are being replaced as their terms end. Pakistan's official APP news agency says nine more candidates stood unopposed in the poll. The unofficial results suggest that the PPP would now have 41 seats in the Senate, and together with its allies would control the chamber for another three years. Given the support that the ruling PPP party enjoys among the parliamentarians, this election is expected to give it considerable influence within the country's political system for several years to come. It is also likely to give the party's sagging popularity a boost and improve its chances to perform better at the national elections due later this or early next year. Many say this is an "historic" occasion because despite winning successive elections since 1970, the PPP was never allowed to complete its term or build up its support within the Senate.