Zardari wins Pakistan election

By Robert Birsel

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, swept to victory in a presidential election on Saturday.

Underscoring the problems he faces, a suicide car bomber killed at least 30 people in an attack on a police post in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Nearly 70 people were injured and police said the death toll could rise further as many people were buried under the rubble of nearby buildings brought down by the blast.

Investors and foreign allies led by the United States hope the election will bring some stability after months of political turmoil and rising militant violence. The uncertainty has dragged stocks and the rupee sharply lower.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice welcomed Zardari's election and praised what she said was his emphasis on fighting terrorism. "Now with a new president, I think we have got a good way forward," she told reporters.

A former businessman, Zardari is close to the United States and has stressed Pakistan's commitment to the widely unpopular campaign against militancy.

Members of the two-chamber parliament and four provincial assemblies voted on a replacement for former army chief Pervez Musharraf, who resigned last month nine years after taking power in a coup.

Zardari, who had been widely expected to win, secured 480 out of 702 electoral college votes, according to unofficial Election Commission results.

A polo-playing playboy in his younger days, Zardari spent 11 years in jail on corruption and murder charges. He was never convicted and denied any wrongdoing, but faces widespread doubts about his suitability to be president.

Zardari told a gathering with party colleagues that his victory was the completion of the democratic process.

"To those who would say the People's Party, or the presidency, would be controversial under our guardianship, under our stewardship, I would say 'listen to democracy'," he said, flanked by his two daughters.

HOST OF PROBLEMS

Their mother was killed in a suicide attack on December 27 last year, weeks after returning from years in exile. Her Pakistan People's Party (PPP) now holds the presidency and leads the government.

Zardari, 53, will have to contend with a host of problems in the nuclear-armed U.S. ally, including militant violence and an economy in tatters.

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said President George W. Bush was looking forward to working with Zardari on "issues important to both countries, including counterterrorism and making sure Pakistan has a stable and secure economy".