Leadership Observation Journal
Mr. Pervez Musharraf is the present President of Pakistan, and was the ex- Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army. He came to control in 1999 by carrying out a military coup d’état and till to date: he has suspended the constitution of Pakistan twice. Since September 11, 2001 attacks he has been an ally of the US in the war against terrorism. He took command on October 12, 1999, overthrowing Nawaz Sharif, the elected Prime Minister, suspending the national and provincial governmental assemblies. Not just that, but then himself assumed the designation of Chief Executive and became Pakistan’s de facto head of government, by this means becoming the fourth Army chief of Pakistan to have assumed executive power. Later in 2001, Musharraf appointed himself to the office of President of Pakistan. (Staff, 2005)
On November 3, 2007, only days ahead of a bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan were to settle on an appeal challenging the constitutional legitimacy of his re-election as president in the controversial October 2007 elections. He as Chief of Army Staff, suspended the constitution, imprisoned numerous judges and lawyers of the Supreme Court including Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, ordered the arrest of political rebels and human rights advocates, and closed all private television channels. On November 3, 2007, Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan which lasted until December 15, 2007. During this time, the constitution of the country was suspended and on November 24, 2007, the Pakistan Election Commission confirmed his re-election as President.
Musharraf used legitimate and coercive powers to maintain his rule. His positions, his authority and his strong backing from the allies made him do whatever pleased him. For example, the Supreme Court Chief Justice did not act according to Musharraf’s wishes, so Musharraf used coercive and legitimate powers not only to dismiss him unlawfully but also created a false charge sheet against the Chief Justice. The use of legitimate power brings compliance, while that of coercive powers brings resistance from the followers. Musharraf still has a small number of supporters because of whom; he still has the hot seat.
However, Musharraf’s actions have created resistance among the judiciary and the media; who have blatantly being doing anti-government protests and are asking Musharraf to resign. There also has been a sharp decline in his popularity amongst the masses. The recent defeat of his supporters in the general elections proves that coercive power can only be effective in short-run. Thus, effective use of coercive power becomes ineffective because a lot of resistance is involved here, leaving the leader ill-reputed and unfavorable. Thus, power brings not only compliance but also resistance from the supporters.
Sources:
1. BookRags Staff. (2005). Pervez Musharraf. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from http://www.bookrags.com/biography/pervez-musharraf/.