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Background: Pakistan, his last month by one of the world's worst disasters, will take a crucial vote on its future on Monday (December the 7th). For the first time the country is holding general elections, and the political decisions taken will be among the most crucial in the country's 23-year history.

After the election Pakistan could turn to Parliamentary government, martial law could continue, and there could be serious internal dissent in the country.

Some 56 million Pakistanis are due to cast their ballots in what is the country's first one-man-one-vote election. The election has been called to smooth the way from military to civilian government. The army will supervise the election.

The election will test whether the eastern and western parts of the country can co-exist and co-operate in a national government.

The voters go to the polls less than a month after the disastrous typhoon and tidal wave in East Pakistan in which many thousands died. Politicians in East Pakistan have ??? that the central government was slow in helping the stricken area. The east has long complained that their impoverished region has been exploited by what they call the big business of the wealthier and much more industrialised western wing.

The decision to create the two separate Moslem areas of Pakistan was taken in 1947 when the Indian subcontinent was given independence after 200 years of British rule. India itself is predominately Hindu and relations with Pakistan have ever since remained tense -- and twice fighting has flared between the two counties.

Pakistan was without a constitution for nine years, and when one-man-one-vote elections were proposed, Field Marshall Ayub Khan took over in a bloodless coup. He ruled the country until forced to step down in March, 1969, after violent riots.

General Yahya Khan, the army commander-in-chief, took over the reins, but made it clear that this would be for a limited period. Towards the end of last year he announced that elections would be held in October this year, - but they were postponed because of the East Pakistan floods.

Voting will take place in all except nine constituencies - all in the flood-devastated area - where they will vote in January. The 300 elected members of the new assembly will chose 13 women to complete the legislature. The assembly is expected to hold its first meeting toward the end of January or early in February.

President Yahya Khan has given the assembly 120 days from the time of its first meeting to frame a new constitution to preserve the country's unity. He has warned that he will not accept a constitution that will tend to weaken the unity of the two parts of the country. In that case, he said, martial law would continue.

Twenty parties are contesting the election and a coalition government is probable.