ISLAMABAD, Pakistan?Military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf appeared heading toward an overwhelming victory Tuesday as Pakistanis voted in a referendum to give him five more years as president.

With 429,780 votes counted, 345,427 ballots supported extending Musharraf’s term. Only 9,774 were against. The rest were ruled invalid.

Final results are expected today.

Musharraf was expected to win despite boycott calls from most of the main political parties, but he was hoping for a high turnout that would lend him a stamp of legitimacy.

Meanwhile, opposition parties predicted the “lowest-ever turnout” and officials estimated a mere 30 turnout as polls closed.

Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, head of the 15-party Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, said the low turnout was the “verdict of the people” against Musharraf and the president should accept it and resign.