Asif Ali Zardari’s election to the coveted post of President of Pakistan was a foregone conclusion. He brings along with him a series of responsibilities in the domestic as well on the international front. As the civil society in Pakistan has acquired a bargaining power higher than what it had in history, one can conclude the tumultuous time for Pakistan is not yet over.

Pervez Musharraf was far-sighted to sense this, as he stepped down as President within 10 days after the political parties started preparations for his impeachment. Zardari, accussed by Nawaz Sharif led PML(N) on going back to his written agreement on reinstating the Supreme Court judges, is not the unanimous choice of all citizens of Pakistan. That his party enjoys majority in two houses of Pakistan parliament, the National Assembly and the Senate, as well as in a few other Provincial Assemblies in Pakistan is the sole reason for his victory.

Whether he would go to an extent of dismissing the Judges already appointed by the parliament and reinstate the ousted Chief Justice, Mr. Choudhary, is something we all should wait and see. It’s also doubtful whether the accusations that he has so far amassed huge amount of wealth (almost $62 million) will ever be taken again for public debate, even by Courts or by parliament. But one thing is crucial: the issue of joining the war against terror with the US is going to decide his foreign policy (US launched a drone attack in North and South Waziristan yesterday for the fourth time in the last few months). On the domestic front, his ability to gel with the political parties and the civil society decides the future of his Presidentship.

What is notable in the selection of Sarah Palin to be the vice-Presidential candidate in US Elections 2008, is that she is a relatively lesser known politician. As presumptive Republican nominee John McCain puts it, Palin is the best person who can help him “fight the same old Washington politics of me first and country second.”

Presently serving as Governor of Alaska, Palin entered into politics fighting corruption and drafting ethical standards for politicians in her home state. A true Republican in principle, she can be easily located in the issue-directory of US elections 2008. Palin is anti-abortion (also termed pro-life), anti-same sex marriage, gun-rights conservative, and is in favor of drilling for oil especially in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife.

Once a mayor of a suburban region with just 9,000 inhabitants, Sarah Palin is likely to be snubbed by the Democrats for her lack of experience in foreign policy. In any case, John McCain surprised the electorate when he chose Sarah Palin on Friday, ending the hopes of other high-runners in the Republican camp like Tim Pawlenty, governor of Minnesota, and Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts.