Pakistan leader announces vote to extend term

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Pakistan's military leader launched a campaign Friday to extend his hold on power, setting a referendum for early May to determine whether voters want him to remain in office after the restoration of civilian rule.

President Pervez Musharraf said the referendum would be aimed at introducing "real democracy" in Pakistan, which has lived under military rule for half of its 54-year history.

Musharraf also said he would not allow former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan to contest an election and "plunder the national wealth." Sharif and Bhutto, leaders of the two main opposition parties, are in exile and have been discredited due to corruption charges.

Musharraf did not specify an exact date for the referendum nor spell out the wording on the ballot during his more than 90-minute speech. The government-run news agency said those details would be determined later by the Election Commission.

Musharraf seized power in October 1999 in a bloodless coup but agreed later to accept a Supreme Court ruling and restore democracy within three years. Parliamentary elections have been announced for October in line with the pledge.

The referendum has generated a heated debate, especially in the Westernized classes whose support for Musharraf will need to confront Islamic extremists.