Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N’s) decision to dismiss five party lawmakers because they apparently violated party’s code of conduct and discipline by expressing confidence in the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar reflects precisely the kind of thinking that prevents the culture of democracy from flourishing in Pakistan. Sure, the now sacked MPs could have acted a little more smartly and avoided meeting the CM or making such remarks at a time when their party is trying to mobilise and knock Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) from power, especially since they didn’t intend to inform the party leadership about the meeting, but there can be no justification for forcing a particular line down the throats of everyone in a party, especially in a democratic setup.
If you rule out dissent completely you only encourage a system where authority not democracy prevails. And by scaring MPs against speaking their minds and forcing them to toe party lines is known to weaken not strengthen political parties that must compete for people’s votes in a functioning democracy. That is why such examples are the very rare exception rather than the norm in the world’s best democracies. PML-N’s compulsions are understandable, of course, and even those not in favour of its tactics at present will appreciate the singular focus it will need to have any chance of carrying out all its threats along with other opposition parties. And repeated acts of betrayal on the part of party members at times of very significant votes in the House have only added to its frustration and sense of bitterness. But it must still have a better system in place than one that just throws out anybody who dares to have a voice. Now the MPs that have been shown the door must be wondering whatever is wrong with being a little civil in politics, though to no avail.
It would be a good idea for some very high authority, perhaps the House itself or the superior judiciary if possible, to make it compulsory for all political parties to introduce democratic practices within their own setups. All political parties must have elections at all stages and levels. Once such a culture is introduced politicians will learn to be more tolerant of each other and work towards a more inclusive democracy. Parties want to win elections and come to power to serve the people at the end of the day and there’s no harm at all in playing together at times while still disagreeing politically. PML-N should reconsider and revisit the five sackings.
The US presidential debate disaster
It is nothing short of a shame that the first of the US presidential debates was such a disaster and the Commission on Presidential Debates, which has been arranging this feature since 1988, has been forced to accept the need to introduce structural changes to the next two items. President Trump not only kept interfering when it was Democratic Candidate Vice President Joe Biden’s turn to speak, but also interrupted the moderator on many occasions. That of course quickly reduced what should have been the most respected debate in America to a circus with both candidates trading insults instead of policy ideas on the most pressing issues facing their country and the rest of the world.
Some influential voices have also called for the two remaining debates to be cancelled altogether. For one thing, President Trump’s camp found nothing wrong with their man’s conduct and, quite interestingly, also declared victory and there is literally nothing to suggest that the same approach will not be followed again. For another, the damage already done to American pride all over the world is leading an increasing number of people to actually consider abandoning precedent and charting a different course this time. Already this election has stood out because of the level of hostility between the two camps and the fact that people have started mailing their votes ahead of time in very large numbers.
Yet no matter how much President Trump tries to hide behind self-created noise, he will have to confront issues like the uncontrollable spread of Covid-19 in America, especially how the government’s initial strategy of flat denial fell on its face, and increasing polarity caused by racial discrimination. No matter how much he avoids them during the debates he will have nowhere to hide when the time for the vote comes. The president’s behaviour, though not entirely unpredictable, is not only causing political embarrassment but also adding to overall market volatility. International financial markets have already been swinging wildly over the last couple of weeks, and it was only a matter of time before investors began to price in election related unpredictability, but the level of volatility that exchanges like the first debate can cause must have unnerved investors a lot more than ordinary people. Hopefully both camps will realise the necessity of civil conduct and act in a manner that will protect not just the country’s integrity but also people’s savings.
