DEMOCRACY is back in Pakistan with roaring parliaments and IMF ready to work with the new government. There is one common lesson in the infamous speeches of May 9 and Jan 6, and Brexit: Pakistan can defeat dictatorship with democracy by exposing them. Demanding a delay in the presidential election is a continuation of Trump’s populist political sleaze template with the model of DC swamp corruption (The DC swamp is back — and it’s swampier than ever, 28 Sept 2021, the Hill). Instead of any deal, it is time to hold May 9 culprits to account for saving democracy, economy and foreign policy. Regarding demands in the Senate for the release of Imran and allocation of reserve seats, Pakistan, like the West, will protect democracy instead of dictatorship by upholding loyalty to the Constitution, not individual. It will be a permanent end to out-of-box sleaze with out-of-box commitment. The country needs democracy, not reconciliation because barter sleaze cannot replace the rule of law with a populist mandate. Pakistan has a parliamentary system which allows hundreds of parties to work together on the public agenda. It is not a presidential system in which parties need reconciliation to reach a deal.
Brexit aimed to enhance democracy, but it led to the unlawful suspension of the UK Parliament, as ruled by the Supreme Court. Power wasn’t decentralized to MPs and local governments. Reports suggest the Union faces turmoil, including in Wales, Scotland and Ireland, while democratic indicators decline globally. Gross violations of the Constitution since 2018 have led to demands for one country with two sets of laws, akin to instances in other democracies like the UK, US (e.g., Oregon’s ban on 10 Senators) and Spain (e.g., disqualification of the Catalan Government and Assembly). Brexit was enacted to empower democracy. The world witnessed the suspension of the national parliament which the UK Supreme Court ruled unlawful. PMs did not devolve power to MPs and local governments. The Union is in tatters with reports of Wales, Scotland and two Irelands while the country slides on global democracy indices including the economy, poverty, women, human rights, media, good governance, corruption, rule of law and democracy. After gross violations of the Constitution since 2018, our ruling elite is demanding one country two laws on May 9. There are many examples of it in advanced democracies including the UK and the US, including Oregon (banning 10 Senators), the UK (resignation of MP Dorries) and Spain (disqualification of Catalon Government and Assembly).
America is facing populist attacks for dictatorship. Trump made the infamous Jan 6 speech before the attack on Capitol Hill and ‘chose not to act’ during the attack (US Congress Committee findings 22 July 2022, the Guardian). He refused multiple requests to call off the mob (22 July 2022. Time). The 17 findings of the Jan 6 Congress Committee into the storming of the Capitol accuse Trump of deliberately making false claims and plotting to overturn 2020 election results (23 Dec 2022, the Guardian). The five conclusions from the Jan 6 panel recommended criminal referrals for Trump (19 Dec 2022, the Guardian). Pakistan also witnessed the infamous May 9 speech by the PTI leader who also chose not to act. More than 1200 Jan 6 rioters are facing law (US Dept of Justice, New York Times, Politico, AP, ABC news 5 Jan 2024). The planners got 18-22 years’ prison sentence. They were not present in the riots on Capitol Hill (Proud Boys’ leader gets record 22 years in prison for Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy, 6 Sept 2023, AP). With hundreds more waiting to be sentenced, the process is far from over. May 9 is a multi-part conspiracy which merits accountability for all (January 6 Panel accuses Trump of ‘multi-part conspiracy’ in final report, 23 Dec 2022, the Guardian).
As part of the populist political sleaze strategy, America’s democracy is being kept hostage to fuel populism at the grassroots to win elections by channelling public rage without promising anything in return. The next stage is replacing democracy with dictatorship by gutting the state and its democratic institutions, destroying the economy and bringing cronies at the levers of power. Trump called Nikki Haley Queen of the Swamp after she won the primary in Washington DC (Nikki Haley’s win crowns her ‘queen of the swamp’ 4 March 2024, the Telegraph). Like President Jackson, Trump pledged to remove the permanent political class which has rooted itself in the nation’s capital but now wants to rule as dictator (Andrew Jackson Portrait Now Hangs in Oval Office. Here’s What He Said About Draining the Swamp (25 Jan 2017, the daily signal). Today 60 percent Americans term corruption as their top concern, but Trump has forgotten his Five-Point Ethics Plan (Revisiting President Trump’s Forgotten Five-Point Ethics Plan, 28 Sept 2020, CLC).
Hunt has given tax cuts in the UK’s 2024 budget without a source of funding (IMF warns Hunt against tax cuts 30 Jan 2024, the Guardian). Truss had to resign after her mini-budget which cost £30bn loss to the economy (the Guardian) and wiped off $424bn in pension funds (Citi A.M). She blamed the establishment for her failure after presenting a budget without the approval of the UK Office of Budget Responsibility. (Britain’s ‘deep state’ thwarted my plans, Liz Truss tells US far-right summit, 22 Feb 2024, the Guardian). In her speech after being nominated for a new term, the EU chief condemns the rise of populism in Europe: ‘They want to destroy our Europe’ (7 March 2024, the Guardian). In fact, the cost of living crisis and record corruption are fuelling populism and gutting democracy.”
—The writer is senior political analyst based in Islamabad.
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