Pakistan will cross the bridge of IMF when time comes. With marked improvement in good governance and international corruption indexes after PTI’s government, it is not even on the list. It should turn Machiavellian gleams into grins. With hoofbeats for democracy not populist sleaze, it is time for the accountability. All those who gamed the system to enter parliaments should face the law. Mandate is no blank cheque for destroying democracy. Here are the common causes of populist sleaze and the way forward to strengthen democracy.
Like Oregon, the members be disqualified for populist sleaze, loyalty to individual over constitution and their oath instead of serving democratic public agenda (Oregon SC bars disqualifies 10 lawmakers for failing to serve public agenda in the house (The Oregonian 8 Nov 2022). After rejecting amnesty bill for Catalan parliament, Spain dissolved Catalan parliament (30 Jan 2024). Demonstrators protested outside EU parliament for no amnesty to (wannabe) dictators and their supporters against authoritarianism.
Public wants accountability for mega corruption starting with disqualification in parliaments. Accordingly, the findings of mega corruption reports of PTI government merit to be made public including energy, exports, Covid spending, $3bn deposit case in SC, renewal of IPP contracts for decades, devaluation of currency and fuel price. It has pushed country toward default, derailed IMF program and caused irreversible loss to fragile national economy including single mothers, widows and national debt (Pak TI ranking worse under PTI 26 Jan 2022, Dawn).
Accordingly, the West needs to fulfil their legal commitments to control corruption to recover public funds stolen during the corrupt PTI governments like Al-Qadir Trust. Pakistan’s concerned authorities have many options to strengthen democracy, eliminate poverty and improve good governance. America (Fact Sheet: US Leadership in fight against global corruption, White House, 11 Dec 2023, Bank Secrecy Act to fight money laundering), EU and UN AML.
Democracy faced western model of economic booby trap. It has been successfully used to channel voter rage against high cost of living to win elections (White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy MSNBC, Trump hopes economic crash comes on Biden’s watch 9 Jan 2024, WSJ). There can be no defence for planned destruction of economy to win elections. It played havoc with 90% population of the country including women, elderly, children, workers, pensioners and widows and all those earning less than $3 daily. To end this practice, the culprits merit accountability irrespective of their election win.
To save democracy, the West needs to lead by example. Reportedly, $6.5T have been stolen from the developing world to West. There is $4.5 Trillion in the EU. Regulations are in place but 99 percent of criminal proceeds still escape control in the EU (The World’s dirty money by numbers, 19 May 2020, Politico). ECB head is a convict in Sarkozy money laundering case (IMF Chief convicted over payout 20 Dec 2016, BBC). As an affront to FATF, EU has failed to update AML laws for last decade. America has $2T (Leak reveals $2T of possibly corrupt the US financial activity, 20 Sept 2020, the Guardian).
To strengthen democracy against populism, West needs to take three steps in their countries to make MPs accountable to voters. It will help other democracies including Pakistan to overcome political sleaze including Giuliani copycat legal times, making election results controversial and infinite dirty money. 1. Control judiciary (The US Supreme Court has hijacked American Democracy 11 July 2023, CJ Roberts’ wife made over $10M as legal consultant 28 April 2023 Forbes, US Supreme Court Justice Clarence corruption is intolerable. Here is what we can do about it, 10 Aug 2023, LA Times, the Guardian, and Politico). 2. Change infinite political funding Western models being adopted globally (unlimited funding to politicians in Citizen United v. FEC; UK government accused of avoiding dirty money checks on political donations despite scandals 26 June 2023, ICIJ). The 97 members of US Congress reported trade in companies influenced by their committees (13 Sept 2022, the New York Times). How did members of US Congress get so wealthy? 9 Sept 2014, the Atlantic). More than 90 Tory MPs have second jobs, earning over £4m a year (9 Nov 2021, the Guardian). They avoid tax and keep accounts in tax havens (Cameron admitting he profited from father’s offshore trust 7 April 2016, the Guardian). 3. Stop overseas fronts against democracy (The integrity of next UK election is at risk from rogue actors overseas spotlight on corruption, 7 Dec 2023; PTI all set to open overseas front against Pakistan: FIA sources 28 Jan 2024).
As third tier of democracy, it is time to have local governments. It will help fight populism, devolve power at grassroots and stop mega corruption. There should be free and fair elections. For democratic check and balance, bureaucracy should be free from political control. Police should return under DC. There should be strict audit of LG with immediate accountability. The distribution of revenue should be 60% for centre, 10% for provinces and 30% for local bodies. The provinces should generate their own revenue.
—The writer is senior political analyst based in Islamabad.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
