Transition: People’s trust in institutions, democracy increasing

Survey says trust on democracy increased to 53pc in 2013 from 32pc in 2005.

ISLAMABAD:

Trust in political institutions and satisfaction with democracy has increased in Pakistan between 2005 and 2013 but still lag behind when compared with India, say findings of surveys conducted in the two countries.

The findings of “Views on State of Democracy in South Asia” Pakistan and India reports were released by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) and Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) during a roundtable discussion at a local hotel on Thursday.

The reports are part of the state of democracy in South Asia initiative by PILDAT in partnership with CSDS and financed by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

The Pakistan report’s findings are based on a country-wide public opinion poll conducted between November and December 2013 with 2,487 participants.

The results show that satisfaction with functioning democracy in Pakistan increased to 53 per cent in 2013 from 32 per cent in 2005, when a similar poll was last conducted.

Trust in the governments, political parties and parliament also registered double-digit percentage point gains.

CSDS Director Sanjay Kumar said that the opposite trends in the neighbouring countries --- one famous for being the largest and one of the most consistent democracies in the world and the other known for its political instability --- should be viewed in each country’s specific context.

He said that economic stability and satisfaction with democracy have a positive correlation in India, but the opinion poll in India came at the end of a political party’s second consecutive tenure.

Kumar also pointed out that in India, around 85 per cent of participants said that they were interested in Pakistani affairs but only 11 per cent of them had a friendly opinion about Pakistan. That was about three times less than the positive perception of Pakistanis about India.

Participants of the roundtable said this gap should be removed through people-to-people exchanges and improving trade relations between India and Pakistan.

Gilani said that the political activity in Pakistan needs to be supported with local government systems.

He said that the State in Pakistan was trying to shape society but it should be the other way around. The state should fall under society and if that does not happen, the state will end up being cruel and unchecked.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.