The history of democracy is not a slow steady advance, but a succession of waves that have advanced, receded, then rolled in and crested again. Since 1974, the world has witnessed a phenomenal tide of democratization, termed as the Third Wave of Democracy by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington. Pakistan, in the meantime, has faced two military dictatorships and the trajectory of its democratic development remains circular.

The State of Democracy Report prepared by Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development (PILDAT), a respected NGO working for democratic development, is an effort to produce an authoritative and indigenous commentary on the state of democracy in Pakistan. The stated objective of the report, produced on quarterly and annual basis, is to monitor record and analyze the process of democratization in order to both aid the process and make it more transparent for the people of Pakistan and international observers.

The report is written by Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi, a well-established academician better known for his work on civil military relations. It comprehensively sums up major political events of the past quarter and also provides a brief analysis.

Political developments of the period (July-Sept 2004) covered by the report are symptomatic of Pakistan's endemic problems. The brief period witnessed three Prime Ministers on the thorny seat. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain assumed the office of the Prime Minister on June 30, replacing Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who left office in mysterious circumstances. Chaudhry Shujaat held this office for 59 days as a stop gap arrangement to enable Shaukat Aziz, the Prime Minister designate, to get elected to the National Assembly who took oath as Prime Minister on August 28.

The report notes that during the period the parliament did some legislative work but it could not acquire a salient role in the polity. The working of the National Assembly suffered due to five major reasons. First, it faced the quorum problem from time to time. Second, members of the federal cabinet were often absent from the house. Their absence from the meetings created the impression that the government did not take the National Assembly seriously.

Third, the government and the opposition could not develop harmonious interaction in the Assembly. They engaged in bitter exchanges and traded charges and counter charges. Fourth, the government often availed of the absence of the opposition from the Assembly to pass legislative measures and transact other business. Fifth, the opposition viewed the Speaker as being heavily tilted towards the government.

Outside the parliament, political parties appeared segmented and demoralized. While the ruling Pakistan Muslim League faced internal organizational problems, the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) parties suffered from organizational incoherence and disharmony in political orientations. They appeared to have lost faith in the prospects of any meaningful change in the existing political arrangements.

President General Pervez Musharraf's style of governance and political management continued to be marked by unity of command, concentration of effective power at the top, and cooption of a section of political leaders. This style of governance had a serious bearing on the democratic development as the seekers of state power and patronage cultivated the presidency and its army intelligence and bureaucratic affiliates rather than using democratic means to advance their careers.

The report is bold and objective and appearing against the backdrop of a serious vacuum it is an essential reading for anyone interested in Pakistan's political misfortunes. A major shortcoming of the report is its total reliance on media reports and government publications as the source of its data. More rigorous social and political research tools could enhance the quality of the report and make it even more interesting and profound.

Since 1974, the world has witnessed a phenomenal tide of democratization, termed as the Third Wave of Democracy by Samuel P. Huntington.

 

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State of Democracy Report July-September 2004

By Dr Hasan-Askari Rizvi

Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency - PILDAT, 5-A Zafar Ali Road Gulberg V, Lahore-54000

Tel: 042-111-123-345

Fax: 042-575-1551

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.pildat.org

81pp. Price not listed