Majority in poll want Musharraf to quit

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Two-thirds of Pakistanis polled said they wanted President Pervez Musharraf to quit and slightly more dislike his political party in the upcoming election.

The poll was conducted by the International Republican Institute, a non-profit group based in Washington, and took responses from 3,520 randomly selected men and women, The New York Times reported Thursday.

The findings said 67 percent of respondents want Musharraf to quit, while 70 percent said they didn't think his Pakistan Muslim League party deserved to be re-elected.

The country will have parliamentary elections Jan. 8 and Musharraf's two leading opponents -- both former prime ministers -- Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif have accused Musharraf of vote-rigging in order to remain in power.

On Nov. 3, Musharraf declared emergency rule, suspended the constitution, replaced all Supreme Court justices, jailed opponents and imposed a media clampdown making it a crime to criticize him.