"Judge economic performance, the welfare of people and political stability," President Musharraf told business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
"Please don't judge (us) on maybe unrealistic Western perceptions of democracy and human rights." According to Reuters, he went on say, "The elections must be free, fair and transparent. And I've added another word -- peaceful, we will make sure that they are peaceful."
President Musharraf, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Fakhruddin Ahmed, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih and Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai together appeared at a panel discussion in Davos Thursday to discuss 'The Quest for Peace and Stability.'
Earlier, Mr. Musharraf met with US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on the sidelines at Davos. After this meeting, Rice praised him as a steadfast ally in the war on terror whose country would continue to receive substantial U.S. support. But she stressed that he must uphold his stated commitment to democracy. Musharraf's meeting with Rice was part of a European tour aimed at reassuring Western leaders about his ability to restore democracy and prevail in the escalating combat between government troops and Taliban rebels along Pakistan's mountainous border with Afghanistan.
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