2007: A Crunch Year for Pakistan?
It could be, though the election will of course be rigged. Yet a quick review of Pakistan's 60-year history will turn up no other leader who has remained in power for seven years, and it has to be said of Musharraf that he has kept a grip on things during an unusually turbulent period. Neverthless, the chances of South Asia's volatility being turned up to the boil this year are pretty high.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Pakistan's uncertain year ahead
After seven years of Gen Musharraf and the military, people are tired of the army and looking for change.
Moreover only a genuine civilian government could begin the attempt to start a reconciliation process with all the alienated, angry elements of society such as the Baloch nationalists and the Pashtun extremists in the tribal agencies bordering Afghanistan.
Is such a transformative election likely?
Not really.
Gen Musharraf has repeatedly said in the past few months that that Pakistan would fall apart if he was not there to guide it, that a strong hand is needed and there can be only one centre of power - and by that he means the army.
So 2007 will be full of political noise and thunder, talk of deals and conspiracies, but when people do actually go to the polls, many will not be expecting anything much to change.
