Pakistan elects new prime minister

Pakistan's National Assembly elected as prime minister today Yousaf Raza Gilani, a top official in assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's party, five weeks after it won a general election.

In an immediate challenge to the unpopular President Pervez Musharraf, Mr Gilani said he would order the immediate release of judges Musharraf detained after he declared emergency rule in November. He also called on parliament to pass a resolution seeking a UN investigation into Bhutto's assassination on December 27th in a gun and bomb attack blamed on Islamist militants.

Mr Gilani won with 264 votes in the 342-seat lower house of parliament, the speaker told the assembly. The only other contender, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi of the Pakistan Muslim League that backs President Pervez Musharraf, won 42 votes.

The announcement triggered cheers and shouts of "Long Live Bhutto" from supporters in the visitors' gallery. Bhutto's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, was also in the gallery and was seen wiping away a tear. Bhutto party supporters also chanted "go Musharraf, go".

"It is because of the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto that democracy is being restored. It is a historic event," Mr Gilani told the assembly shortly after the announcement.

Mr Gilani, a close aide to Bhutto and a vice chairman of her party and former National Assembly speaker, had been expected to win the vote with a big majority. He was backed by members of his Pakistan People's Party and its coalition partners, including the party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, which came second in the February 18th election, and a small pro-Musharraf regional party.

There had been speculation the PPP would nominate a stop-gap prime minister and Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, who now leads the party, would take over the post after entering parliament via a by-election. But the News newspaper today cited Mr Zardari as rejecting such speculation, saying Mr Gilani would be prime minister for a full five-year term.

Mr Gilani, a soft-spoken, resolute person, was jailed in 2001 by the Musharraf government for making illegal appointments, but was freed in 2006. He said the charge was politically motivated. While in prison, Gilani wrote a book that advocated a strong military, but one that was removed from politics. He has called for the repeal of constitutional changes made by Musharraf to bolster his authority, including the power to dismiss a government.

The PPP-led coalition almost has the two-thirds majority in the two-chamber parliament that is needed to amend the constitution. Yesterday, Mr Gilani swore allegiance to Bhutto and said his government would work for the supremacy of parliament. President Musharraf is due swear in Mr Gilani today. He is expected to begin naming ministers to his cabinet this week