Competition and Accountability can Save Pakistan

So you’re 19 years old, your mother has just been assassinated, and you’ve been thrown into a potential position of power.

Poor old Bilawal Bhutto. It seems that while the Hacks were quite excited by the terrible death of his mother, it’s the aftermath and raging violence currently gripping a great deal of Pakistan, which they are concentrating on the most.

When Benazir Bhutto arrived back to the country she was formerly the Prime Minister of, I didn’t know what to think. It was clear that Pervez Musharraf had expended all his capital and goodwill with both the West and most of his people. I, and indeed many of my British-born 2^nd-generation Pakistani friends were cautiously optimistic and Benazir’s return. It appeared that ‘anything other than Musharraf’ was the consensus.

I’ve always had a problem with that logic. While I understand it, and while I had no doubt that Benazir Bhutto was a million times better than the current administration, I had a slight worry. My worry was democratic accountability. Yes, it’s great that the dictatorship can be removed, but even if it’s replaced by a democratic administration – who would be holding them to account? Where was the serious (but equally democratic) opposition to Benazir Bhutto?

Even a very well-meaning government can be a dangerous thing without competition. The Labour Party has made a serious bout of mistakes over the last 10 years in power, but there’s a very good reason why we’re only hearing about some of the most recent ones in the strong terms our Hacks are using; the Tories are a strong party again. When they hold Gordon Brown into account, we are more inclined to listen. It’s good for us, it’s good for democracy, and it’s even good (long term) for Labour.

The same will be true in the US this year. While the shrill voices on both the left and the right in America will complain if “their man”, (or woman), does not end up holding office. At least the Democrats will hold the Repulicans to account, and vice-versa. It’s amazing how this basic function is all-too easily taken for granted by us.

So while I (cautiously) wish Bilawal Bhutto the best of luck, and hope that his mother’s advisors will lead him down the same policy and path, I also wish great achievement (if not necessarily victory) to other parties in Pakistan, who oppose the dictatorship of the current administration, and oppose the particular policies of Bhutto’s campaign.

Even if Bhutto’s party are victorious (and I’m pretty sure they will be), let’s hope that these other democratic parties stick around, and keep the new government to account. That’s the only way democracy can flourish.

So rest in peace Benazir Bhutto. And good luck to Pakistan. Let’s give the hacks less to talk about in 2008. May peace, stability and freedom await you.