Bush: Musharraf should remove his uniform

MOUNT VERNON, Va., Nov. 7 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush said he told Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf that his country should have elections soon and to remove his uniform.

Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with reporters during a visit to the Mount Vernon, Va., home of George Washington, the first U.S. president.

"I had a very frank discussion with him," Bush said, adding that he told Musharraf, "You can't be the President and the head of the military at the same time."

Asked why he came down harder on Myanmar's crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators than on Musharraf's actions, Bush said, "Pakistan has been on the path to democracy; Burma hadn't been on the path to democracy. And it requires different tactics to achieve the common objective."

The president reiterated his message to Musharraf, saying, "(My) message was very -- very plain, very easy to understand, and that is, the United States wants you to have the elections as scheduled and take your uniform off."