ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to Khurram Baig’s article “Is there an effective economic argument for democracy?” (February 17). My thoughts are that yes, there is. Political leaders depend on a group of individuals in society to gain and maintain power. These are their “selectorate” (Bruce Buenos de Mesquita: The Dictator’s Handbook). In a functioning democracy, these would consist of nearly all voters in the country, while in dictatorships, it is a narrower group. Pleasing all voters entails taking different actions than pleasing a few people. The former would mean building roads, funding education and health and ensuring law and order to make the lives of people safe. Corruption has lesser value and acceptance in such systems. Appeasing the few in a dictatorship requires a more focused license to plunder and is, therefore, more economical for leaders who get to keep more of the largesse for themselves. This is the context in which the question should be considered.
The country has endured long periods of dictatorships with interrupted democracy. The current government seems likely to be the first in Pakistan’s history to complete its full term. Mismanagement is rife at a large-scale but at least it takes us one step towards a functioning democracy where the people can demand good governance. Let us not be naïve in anticipating that this will happen right away. Even after General Park Chung-hee ushered in regular elections, it took over two decades of repeated elections in South Korea before decent conditions started prevailing for the majority. The same has taken over five decades for India and over two decades for Malaysia. At least, we have begun our journey. Let us hold the course.
Adnan Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2013.
