Parliamentary System vs Presidential System: What’s Better for Pakistan?
Are you familiar with the differences between a presidential and parliamentary form of government? If not, we can provide you with a quick guide to understand both systems.
Given Pakistan’s history of democratic challenges, it is important to understand the intricacies of its previous governments and determine which system was more suitable and why.
Violent Protests in Pakistan: A Hollow Endeavour?
As Pakistanis, we’re accustomed to placing the blame on others and seeking remedies through sit-ins and protests that characteristically morph into violent and fruitless endeavours.
This time, however, it won’t just stop with arrests and economic contractions as the economy is closely inching towards a catastrophic collapse.
A Digital Democracy: Social Media & Political Participation
Social media has proven itself to be a valuable tool in the political and democratic discourse, digitally and globally. It provides an opportunity for individuals to engage in civilized political discussions.
Political engagement on social media is a necessary means to uplift democracy. Such discussions are the basis for the liberation of ideas and the evolution of the political and democratic processes.
The Pew Research Center conducted a survey to understand the effect of social media on democracy.
In 12 out of 19 nations, adults aged 18 to 29 believe that social media has been good for democracy – as opposed to those 50 and older who believed otherwise.
Pakistan’s Varying Political Scenarios
In today’s Pakistan, we are gripped with a politico-economic situation that is increasingly becoming untenable. Brig Syed Mushtaq Ahmed (Retd) believes that the country is abuzz with a lot of speculations, foretelling different scenarios: a downside scenario, an obverse scenario and a prospective scenario. Which one of these will last or emerge depend on the role of the invisibles.
Imran Khan—Challenger of the Status Quo
Former leaders took advantage of the inchoate state, and marred Pakistan by insulating themselves.
Mir Adnan Aziz considers Imran Khan’s political existence, and PTI’s unswerving influence the perfect opportunity for the citizens to resolve the pitiful state of the country themselves.
Myanmar Executions: Four Activists Killed by the State
The recent execution of four pro-democracy activists in Myanmar is the first time in decades that the state has handed out the death penalty. Myanmar’s military government has received backlash and criticism from human rights activists and the international community for its unjustified acts of terror. Maryam Ibrahim notes that even the threat of losing their lives has not deterred the supporters of democracy in Myanmar from raising their voices.
New World Order: The Rise of Far-Right Populism
A sudden surge in the right-wing political groups centered around white supremacist ideologies, is leading to democracy being undermined all over the world. Zunaira Malik observes the veiled origins and the swift rise of these groups, and the myriad of themes within far-right politics.
Democracy or Monarchy — What Will It Be For Pakistan?
With the political system in disarray, the author, Shanze Khalid, claims that Pakistan actually resembles a monarchy. She supports her assertion by giving references to Pakistan’s convoluted relationship with dynastic politics and corruption.
The No-Confidence Motion Against Imran Khan: Pakistan’s Political Tribulation
The author, Afifa Iqbal, illustrates the process of the no-confidence motion in Pakistan before delving into PM Imran Khan’s miscalculations. The uncertainty in the domestic political arena is disquieting as it is, but what will become of the democratic framework if the no-confidence resolution were to pass?
The Hypocrisy of Democracy in America: From Military Interventions to the Recent Summit
Though America considers itself the true representative of democracy, its actions prove otherwise. The hypocritical nature of the United States is apparent from its propensity to get militarily involved in other states, like Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq, in the name of promoting democracy. The authors argue that contrary to establishing a democratic regime, the US military interventions have worsened the instability in these states. Moreover, the US itself is a dysfunctional democracy and even the Summit for Democracy can be seen as an effort to divide the world and preserve the US hegemony.
The Non-democratic yet Democratic State Led by the Communist Party of China
Though China considers itself to be a “socialist democracy”, it is not a democratic state in the eyes of the West. The authors, Alyan Waheed and Muskan Moazzam, note that while the West is busy contemplating the state of democracy in China, it has failed to realize that despite being “non-democratic”, China is a better leader, and more beneficial for the international community, under the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As per their argument, the CCP has ensured that the nationalist element in the Chinese does not become overpowering and that China remains a pragmatic and rational status quo power.
Linking Corruption, Democracy, and Economic Growth
Democracy is considered an integral part of the West’s foundation. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index and the Democracy Index, flawless democracies are the least corrupt. As such, since corruption hinders the economic growth of states, the extent to which a state is democratic should correlate to its economic development. The author, Syed Taha Mehdi, argues that in Asian countries like Pakistan, where the top 1% of the population controls 16.8% of the wealth, the political elite often exploit the state and sponsor electoral campaigns which benefit them. Hence, the policies enacted in weak democracies cater to the economic and political interests of the powerful few, often at the expense of the populace that has elected them.
E-voting in Pakistan: Introducing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)
The present government has put forward its proposal of e-voting through electronic voting machines (EVMs), but this proposition is fraught with uncertainties, given political deadlocks and transparency issues. The author, Nimra Dawood, discusses and analyzes the wrangles over the introduction of EVMs in Pakistan for the 2023 elections, particularly the incompatibility of the EVMs with the 2017 Election Act.
The Perfect Dictatorship or Democracy?: Analyzing Countries Under Dictators
Democracy is dubbed as the only model of excellence for governments, while dictatorship is always viewed as a malicious model of governance.
The author notes that every form has its merits and demerits, and so explores the dictatorships that have advanced the economy and equality in the state.
The author makes reference to several instances of dictatorships – Iraq, Libya, Venezuela, Russia, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, China, and Pakistan – that worked in favour of the country and the people.
These countries experienced economic growth and better implementation of social rights throughout the course of dictatorship. Consequently, the author believes that even dictatorial governments are politically viable.
Democracy Is for the People by the People
As the rule of the people, democracy is the political theory that merits itself a place of sanctity among the masses. With so many forms of government around the world, all with varying degrees, democratic norms are at stake. The author also notes how freedom of speech is used as a tool to impair the foundations of a democratic government.
The Rise of Russia and China: Is America in Decline?
After spending almost three decades as the world’s sole superpower, the United States of America has finally reached the point where its decline begins. The US economic, military, and political prowess is being rivaled by Russia and China. Abdul Majeed, a political researcher and former member of the Youth Parliament of Pakistan, notes that America’s share in the world economy has fallen from 40% in 1960 to 24% in 2019. Whereas, China’s share is increasing due to the massive infrastructure projects it has undertaken in Asia and Africa. Similar to its economic decline, the US has fallen behind Russia and China in technological development, and the 5G and space race. The author argues that the superpower is no longer the ideal democratic state. Not only has it been marked as a flawed democracy for the fifth consecutive year, but it has also lost its ability to militarily protect its allies, and as Russia and China develop, so do the threats to the US hegemony.
Parliamentary System vs Presidential System: What’s Better for Pakistan?
The failure of the parliamentary system in the country has raised concerns regarding its effectiveness. The populace is divided between the pros and cons of transitioning to a presidential form of governance yet again after the pathetic display of the politicians in the Parliament over the budget proposals. The overarching concern, in either case, is for the delivery of democracy and good governance to the grassroots level.