Bhutto's widower wins Pakistan presidential election

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) - The widower of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has won the election to be the country's next president, Pakistani media reported Saturday.

Asif Ali Zardari, 53, had been the front-runner in the race to replace former President Pervez Musharraf, who was forced to resign last month.

The election was not by public vote, but rather by lawmakers in the two houses of the National Assembly and in the four provincial assemblies around the country. Under Pakistan's constitution, the president is elected by a majority vote.

Pakistan's PTV reported that in parliament, Zardari received 281 votes. Retired Chief Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui received 111 votes and Senator Mushahid Hussein received 34, PTV reported.