Unofficial results announced after separate votes in the federal and provincial assemblies showed Asif Ali Zardari won an overwhelming majority, bolstered by public loyalty to his late wife and hopes that he can pull the country out of its economic doldrums.

Pro-Zardari lawmakers, some in tears, shouted “Long live Bhutto!” as the vote tallies came in. The couple’s two jubilant but tearful daughters, one carrying a portrait of their late mother, smiled and hugged friends in the gallery of the National Assembly.

But Saturday also brought a brutal reminder of the threats to the nuclear-armed nation’s stability as a suicide car bomber killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens near the northwestern city of Peshawar.

Head of the main ruling party, Zardari becomes one of the most powerful civilian leaders in Pakistan’s turbulent 61-year history. Last month, he marshaled a coalition that forced longtime U.S. ally Pervez Musharraf to quit as head of state.

Zardari, a novice leader untested on the international stage and stained by past corruption allegations, takes over at a critical time for the volatile Muslim nation of more than 160 million.

The economy is crumbling, and Saturday’s attack was the latest in a string of suicide bombings usually claimed by Islamic militants who have steadily gained strength since Pakistan joined the U.S. war on terrorism in 2001.

On Saturday evening, Zardari hugged and shook hands with supporters and well wishers who attended a celebratory dinner in the gardens of the prime minister’s residence on a hill overlooking the capital.

In a brief speech, he rejected criticism that he would be a divisive president and took another swipe at Musharraf, a former general.

“To those who would say that the People’s Party or the presidency would be controversial under our guardianship, under our stewardship, I would say listen to democracy,” he said.

Echoing one of his late wife’s favorite slogans, he said “democracy was the best revenge” against military rulers.

Washington is pressing Pakistan hard to eradicate Taliban and al-Qaida havens near its border with Afghanistan. An American-led ground attack, said to have killed at least 15 in Pakistani territory Wednesday, sparked outrage and embarrassed Zardari’s party.

The U.S. government congratulated Zardari. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has not met Zardari but has spoken with him by phone, said she looked forward to working with him.

“I’ve been impressed by some of the things he has said about the challenges that Pakistan faces, about the centrality of fighting terrorism, about the fact that the terrorism fight is Pakistan’s fight and also his very strong words of friendship and alliance with the United States,” Rice said.

Tariq Raza, a 45-year-old teacher in the central city of Multan, called Zardari’s victory a last chance for his party to prove it can improve the economy and fight terrorism.

“The PPP is in power just because of the sympathy vote after the brutal murder of Benazir Bhutto,” Raza said. “We want him to save Pakistan from becoming Iraq and Afghanistan.”

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