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WASHINGTON (US): Asif Ali Zardari, the PPP nominee for September 6 presidential election says his goal as President would be the development of “full democracy” in Pakistan.

Zardari who is Co-Chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the majority party of the ruling coalition said this in an interview broadcast here Saturday after the PPP formally announced his nomination in Islamabad.

Zardari also sounded confident on working hand in hand with Washington towards overcoming economic and security challenges facing the Pakistani nation as well broader challenges in the region.

“Full democracy, the major goal of my wife and Pakistan Peoples Party was always to bring democracy to Pakistan. We have succeeded to a certain extent and the journey continues, we get total democracy, we (are going to) get a civilian president in the presidency and then from there on develop democracy in Pakistan,” he told the National Public Radio when asked to spell out his goal at the helm of affairs.

Zardari was positive about success of democracy through concerted efforts with political forces when asked about prospects of reaching across the lines in view of the fact that the PPP-led coalition includes parties of various political shades.

“I think democracy will succeed one way or the other. Fragile democracy is a trend in our part of the world. India has 40 parties working together in a democracy. We are four to eight parties working together, hopefully, we will find a solution, democracy has to grow, it is still a very young plant.”

The former senator emphasized continued journey on the path of democracy is vitally important in terms of its stable growth.

“It is in the journey, that you find the lesson to a full democracy.”

On Pakistan trade’s relations with the United States he stated: “We need the support of the United States for our democracy, for our economy ---- and for the region ---- between friends in the region, there are lots of challenges this region is facing, and the world is facing in our geographical surroundings.

“So we are hoping to work hand in hand with the United States to see a better tomorrow and a better region.”

He renewed the elected government’s commitment to curb violent extremism, saying it is “Pakistan’s problem first” and it is doing so in cooperation with the United States. Combating extremism is a joint effort, he added, suggesting it requires long-term solution through having democracy all over the country.

“The idea is to get normalization, it is not the question of moving them (extremists) out, it is a question of getting things back to normal and having democracy in every region.”

The people have spoken in favor of the Pakistan Peoples Party by voting it to power in February 18 polls and the cases pursued against the top party leadership in the past had all been “politically motivated “and have been duly rejected by the people and no judgments have been made against the leaders either, he asserted.

“The world has said so, the judiciary has said so and the people of Pakistan have said so.” Zardari pointed out had there been any past baggage, the party would not have achieved such a tremendous victory at countrywide polls.

Of Power to dismiss NA

Meanwhile, a report from New York says; Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari says he believes that the president should not have the power to dissolve the National Assembly and that the head of state’s role should be “more ceremonial”.

“Parliament is sovereign, and one has to look at the future of Pakistan’s democracy as more important than individuals as such,” he said in an interview with a leading US magazine.

The interview with NEWSWEEK’s Lally Weymouth took place before Zardari was formally nominated by his party to be its candidate for the post of President.

Replying to a question, the PPP leader also said that he was in favour of restoring ex-chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry who was deposed along with 60 other superior judges by former president Pervez Musharraf when he imposed a State of Emergency last November.

“I personally am in favour of the chief justice, but there is a position in the party, which says that he has become too politicized in the last many months and he has been leading rallies,” Zardari said.

Elaborating his views on Presidential powers, he said, “We fought this war for democracy, and all the powers that Musharraf enjoyed were obviously non-democratic. We need to have a debate in the Parliament and see how strong we want the future president [to be] and how strong we want to make our prime minister. I think the president should not have the power to dissolve the assembly.”