Give democracy a chance

Caught in the spiral of multiple problems, capped by insurgency and terrorism, disquiet with the elected governments is natural. Nor have high-ranking government leaders done much to satisfy the common people. Rather, their administrative and political conduct has given enough ammunition to opportunity-seeking autocratic groups to present democracy as an unworkable form of government for Pakistan.

There are influential social, business and political groups in Pakistan that don’t trust the political parties that often get popular support. In inciting the military establishment to take over power and orchestrating hybrid military-civilian regimes, they have played a great role. What motivated this kind of partnership? Neither any enlightened ideology, nor any longer-term interest in state or nation building had any role. Social class and business interests motivated these disparate groups, individuals and party factions. They have always used political connections for moneymaking ventures.

Elected governments have displaced those aligned with the last hybrid regime and have co-opted those who have realigned with the powerful figures and groups in power. Elite social networks are the bedrock of Pakistani politics; party affiliations, identities and labels have no meaning. Restoration of democracy and elections help reshuffle the political pack. The important players change seats, seek new alliances and build new networks with the same motives of greed, plunder and extorting resources.

The moral of this political story is that the hybrid regimes didn’t give us honest people or those motivated to serve Pakistan and its citizens; everyone entered the game with the same interests and motivations which are generally attributed to the elected and electable political class. Look back at the character and integrity of cabinet ministers, governors and those pulling the strings from the institutional walls and you will know how deceptive and fraudulent the gang was.

We cannot allow the same game to be played under what passes for democracy in the post-hybrid regime. Those genuinely elected by the peoples and laced with popular legitimacy to govern have ethical, legal and political obligations to serve the public and national interest. However, it is true that they have failed in many respects and some of the central players of the political game are responsible for the worsening social and economic conditions of the country. What, then, is the remedy?

The remedy lies in democracy itself. There is no other system in the world that can offer anything better or even remotely close to a democratic system. This system grows with experience and takes roots in the society as voters learn how to change the representatives that violate their trust. The leaders and the parties that have popular mandate today may not have it tomorrow if they violate trust, if we give democracy a chance.

Generally, the urban intellectual and conservative affluent sections of the society mistrust the common man and argue that he is easily manipulated and intimidated into voting for the ruling groups. This is a very simplistic view of the common man and his electoral behaviour. Even in developed countries, citizens remain loyal to their parties over generations. But party identities and commitments dissolve when the parties fail to serve the interests of their constituents.

Our history also confirms the view that voters reject leaders and parties that don’t serve them well, and they explore alternatives when they have an opportunity. Let the present assemblies complete their tenure, so that the people have a chance to judge them on account of their performance. This will prove that democracy is a self-perfecting system and hybridism brings distortions into its natural evolution.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 27^th, 2010.