Pakistan's New Leader Faces Uphill Battle

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 25, 2008 — -- Makhdoom Yusuf Raza Gillani, a scion of a leading political family, and firm ally of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was sworn in Tuesday as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan.

President Pervez Musharraf administered the oath at the presidential palace.

Soon after the oath-taking ceremony, supporters of the assassinated Bhutto raised signs with slogans proclaiming "Long live Bhutto," a name that has haunted the corridors of Pakistan's political elite for the last decade.

Gillani's own family has been in politics for at least three generations.

It struck many as ironic to see Musharraf administer the oath for the highest office of government to a person whom he had jailed for six years on charges of providing employment to "undeserving" people.

In the midst of obvious tension between the president and the prime minister's office, many in Pakistan wonder which of the two will prevail and who will fall first.

As for the new prime minister, his first order was to free all judges removed from office and placed under house arrest by Musharraf, including Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, whom Musharraf reportedly once called "scum of the earth."

In the midst of this tension between Musharraf and Gillani, many in Pakistan wonder which of the two will prevail and who will fall first.

Gillani started his political career in 1978 after the death of his father and has been associated with Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party for the past 20 years.

"He has been loyal to the party," said Gen. Talat Masood, a political analyst, "and brings with him a lot of administrative and political experience." Gillani has served both as a minister and speaker of the national parliament.

Monday was indeed a lucky day for Gillani . First, he was elected a prime minister by the parliament, and later, he flew to Karachi for his son's wedding to the daughter of another political leader.

On his first day in office, two powerful U.S. diplomats, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher landed in Pakistan to show their support for the new government.