The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Islamabad

Sen. Joseph Biden said Tuesday that Pakistan's transition to a civilian government after eight years of military rule gives the U.S. a chance to adopt a foreign policy based on the whole nation - not just President Pervez Musharraf.

Biden, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and two other senators were in Pakistan to observe Monday's parliamentary elections. The ruling pro-Musharraf party conceded defeat to opposition parties on Tuesday.

"Nothing is more important than giving the moderate majority a clear voice and a clear stake in the system," said Biden, D-Del.