Dynasties In The Name Of deMOCKracy

By Linda S. Heard,
Special to Gulf News
Published: January 01, 2008, 00:37
GulfNews

The tragic death of Benazir Bhutto has shaken supporters and political foes alike. To her grassroots followers she represented hope and opportunity. To the West, and particularly the US, she encapsulated a vision of a secular, moderate and democratic Pakistan. On Sunday, the courageous woman's 19-year-old son Bilawal Zardari, a history student at Oxford, quoted his mother as saying "democracy is the best revenge".

But now we learn that this teenager has been appointed to fill his late mother's shoes as head of the Pakistan's People's Party (PPP), which is surely the antithesis of what real democracy is all about.

It's understood that the mantel of power will fall to a relative in a monarchical system but how can those who espouse democracy — government by the people for the people — anoint a leader only because of their name and still remain credible?

It's clear that the PPP is not so much democratic but feudal, which is not only unfair to voters who genuinely seek democracy but also to a grief stricken young man, who is now dutifully obliged to take up where his mother left off once he has completed his studies.

It was the same for Benazir, who during her student days was a vivacious, bright, intelligent, fun-loving and generous young woman fond of sweets and romance novels. But those carefree days were short lived.

Following the imprisonment and hanging of her father former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto she was duty-bound to head the PPP and at the age of 35 was elected prime minister herself, for which she was unprepared.

Closeted by the old guard on whom she was forced to rely due to her own lack of experience it's hardly surprising that her two terms of office were tainted by accusations of corruption. If she had lived chances are, older and wiser, she could have emerged as the type of leader Pakistan so badly needs. As the author Tariq Ali recently wrote "the Bhutto family should not be asked for any more sacrifices".

This dynastical phenomenon in countries that purport to be republics or democracies is, of course, not limited to Pakistan.

India has long been in its grip and the same can be said for North Korea, which calls itself a communist state, but is, in fact, a father-to-son dictatorship. Prime example

A prime example in this part of the world is Syria where Bashar Al Assad, an ophthalmologist, had little choice but to accept his father's presidential mantel upon the latter's demise.

Lebanon is similarly dynastical. Arguably the most powerful Maronite Christian political dynasty was conceived in the 1930s by Pierre Gemayel, an assassinated minister of industry. His son Bashir was killed in 1982 just days before taking office as president and was replaced by another son Ameen, who chose voluntary exile in 1988. Tragically, Ameen's son Pierre last year met the same fate as his grandfather and uncle.

Given the country's history, it came as little surprise to most Lebanese when Saad Hariri, son of the assassinated former prime minister Rafik Hariri, became heir not only to his father's business empire but also his political aspirations.

And indeed, there is concern on the Egyptian street that President Hosni Mubarak's son, Jamal, is also being groomed to take over his father's duties at a propitious moment, although the government works had to quell those rumours.

Likewise, the Philippines have long been ruled by political clans. For instance, President Gloria Arroyo's father was a legislator before becoming president, while a study by the Philippine Centre for Investigative Journalism found two thirds of the country's Congress comprises members of dynastical families. It's little wonder, therefore, that attempts to legislate against this trend have been consistently thwarted.

While one may be able to excuse developing nations for not strictly adhering to the letter of democracy during an evolutionary political process, what excuses can we make for the "Land of the Free", which holds itself up as a bastion to be emulated?

Are we seriously to believe out of a nation consisting of over 300 million educated people those whose names end with Kennedy or Bush or Clinton are the most suited to hold the top job? Isn't this a coincidence too far?

Today, as many as 40 per cent of Americans have only known a White House inhabited by a Clinton or a Bush. And if Hillary succeeds, that percentage will rise.

In truth, in most of the world democracy is far from alive and well. Moreover, democracy is in danger of becoming an empty overused word that no longer symbolises rule by the people for the people but rather a capitalist system run by elites that pays only lip service to the concept of citizen first. It's fuelled by globalisation and markets rather than principles. It should be redefined.

We'll never know whether or not Benazir Bhutto was up to that job but as a charismatic, strong woman blessed with exceptional courage, she'll be sorely missed anyway.

Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Middle East affairs. She can be contacted at lheard@gulfnews.com.