Ten Percent

Emilio Morenatti / AP Pakistani President elect Asif Ali Zardari, head of the ruling Pakistan People's Party and widower of two-time Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, during a celebration dinner in Islamabad on Sept. 6, 2008. Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, is elected as president by lawmakers on Sept. 6, 2008. Zardari, who helped force former army chief Pervez Musharraf to step down, has vowed to defeat the Taliban and support the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, where violence is worsening. He has much to prove, particularly that his nickname of "Mr. Ten Percent" — for alleged corruption during his wife’s stints as prime minister — is unjustified. Zardari spent 11 years in jail for corruption and murder charges, although was never convicted. Zardari vows to be tough on militancy, but has a fine line to walk. Cracking down too hard on insurgent activity risks inflaming Pakistani public opinion and even a tribal uprising. At the same time, he faces pressure from opponents to reduce the powers of the presidency, something he and his party have vowed to do without specifying the extent.