U.S. says Pakistan election is step to democracy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Tuesday that Pakistan's election a was a step toward the full restoration of democracy and urged all parties to accept the results and work together.

"Certainly we would want the election results to be respected by all parties. We certainly hope that as the process moves forward of forming a government, that everyone continues to remain calm and act in a peaceful way," State Department spokesman Tom Casey said.

Voters in Pakistan on Monday rejected the former ruling party of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, raising doubts whether the U.S. ally who has ruled since 1999 can keep power.

The Pakistan People's Party of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto emerged as the largest party in the 342-seat National Assembly but it does not have a majority and will need to seek coalition partners.

"It is certainly clear that Pakistan has taken a step toward the full restoration of democracy. This is something we wanted to see happen," Casey said.

Noting Musharraf was still president, Casey said that "we certainly would hope that whoever becomes prime minister, and whoever winds up in charge of the new government, would be able to work with him and to work with all other factions" on the key issues facing the country.

These issues were continuing political and economic reform, and confronting extremism and terrorism, Casey said.

But he denied the United States was trying to be "prescriptive" and tell Pakistanis what to do.

"The political arrangements for the new government are things that the Pakistanis will have to work out. How they do, or don't, work with President Musharraf is for them to work out," Casey said.

Earlier in Pakistan, Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari said Bhutto's party would try to form a coalition government without the pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League (PML).

Casey said he believed the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson, "had the opportunity to talk with Zardari" but was not aware of other U.S. contacts with main players.

(Reporting by Sue Pleming and Susan Cornwell)