Early polls ruled out in crisis-ridden Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, June 28 (Reuters) The Pakistani government has ruled out calling a snap election to lift itself out of a political crisis brought on by President Pervez Musharraf's move to oust the country's top judge, a senior official told Reuters.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, today said a general election would take place after the national and provincial assemblies complete their term in mid-November.

Musharraf wants the present parliament to re-elect him as president before it is dissolved, while he is still army chief, the official said.

Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup, is supposed to quit the military post by the end of 2007. He could retain it if he mustered a two-thirds majority in the new assembly, but sources close to him said he was more likely to become a civilian president.

''The elections will be held according to schedule, although some politicians were saying it should be brought forward,'' the official said.

How this turbulent Muslim nation emerges from a crucial year is of keen interest to the United States and NATO allies with troops in Afghanistan, as Pakistani support is key to their success in fighting a Taliban insurgency.

Ideally, according to analysts, Washington would like to see Musharraf remain a strong enough president to fight the Taliban and al Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal lands on the Afghan border, and to pursue a 3-1/2-year-old peace process with India.

But the United States also wants him to ensure polls are free and fair after widespread allegations of rigging in a 2002 vote.

MAKING LISTS The senior official said the deciding factor in ruling out early polls was that Election Commission officials were reporting that voter lists would not be ready before mid-September.

Opposition parties have alleged that millions of voters' names are missing, and have raised challenges in the courts.

But the government had already decided to extend the date for completion of the electoral roll, the official said.

Musharraf is seeking an understanding with two-time former premier Benazir Bhutto, that would ensure his own re-election and possibly bring her out of self-exile and her liberal-leaning Pakistan People's Party (PPP) into a coalition.

''If the president is sure the PPP is on board, then maybe it would take some of the wind out of opposition,'' the official said, confirming that there were talks but no deal yet.

An assassination target for al Qaeda because of his alliance with the United States, Musharraf is struggling to hold back conservative religious forces, with militants spreading their influence outside remote tribal areas on the Afghan border.

Bhutto, whose father, prime minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was overthrown and hanged by another general in 1979, wants graft cases against her dropped, but sequencing a deal is problematic.

''There is a trust deficit on both sides,'' said the official.

Even if some kind of power-sharing arrangement were agreed, there are doubts how long the two could work together.

Musharraf also must try to keep intact his ruling party, created after the 1999 coup. Some members want early polls, as an election campaign would divert attention from a messy legal battle over Musharraf's suspension of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on accusations of misconduct.

Analysts suspect Musharraf's motive for wanting to replace Chaudhry was that the judge might have allowed challenges to his election plans.

The judiciary and opposition have rallied to Chaudhry's cause and have tapped into impatience with hardships such as rising prices and unemployment, despite economic growth.

Reuters SM GC1756