Daily Times

In Tunisia, a popular uprising sparked by the self-immolation of an unemployed youth has sent Ben Ali packing. He was president since 1987. In Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo still clings to power after 10 years as president, despite losing the election to Alassane Ouattara and regardless of the opposition of the United Nations (UN) and the West African countries.

In many countries of the world, heads of government, whether elected, quasi-elected or un-elected, act on the axiom that ‘only death shall us part’, with faith in their indispensability and invincibility. Today, nearly all such countries with ‘lifelong’ rulers happen to be Muslim. Curiously, all Arab countries, with one or two exceptions, fall in this category.

Tunisia has seen but two rulers since gaining independence from France in 1956. The now-deposed Ben Ali had seized the presidency from the 84-year old, senile Habib Bourguiba, who had been president for 30 years.

The world’s most famous colonel, Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi is poised to wrest the mantle of the world’s longest serving ruler from a fellow Muslim, President Omar Bongo of Gabon. Mr Bongo died last year after being head of state for 42 years. He has now been succeeded by, guess who, his son — Ali Bongo — of course.

Gaddafi has now been in power for 41 years. Like Gabon, Libya too will see a ‘new’ dawn when the son rises. It is no secret that one of his sons, now the national security advisor, is being groomed for succession.

A son is also rising in the neighbouring Egypt. He is in a race against time, for papa is 81, is ailing and is not quite sure that the son is popular or strong enough to be installed now. Egypt has known only three leaders since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1953.

Gamal Nasser died as president in 1970, Anwar Sadat was dispatched to meet his maker by rebellious troops in 1981 and Hosni Mubarak shows no sign of bowing out after 30 years in power. To guarantee succession to his son, he is determined to keep at bay Mohamed ElBaradei, a distinguished son of Egypt who until recently was head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Oman’s Qaboos ibn Said installed himself as the sultan in 1970 after deposing his father and imprisoning him. Qatar’s Crown Prince Hamad Bin Khalifa overthrew his father to become emir in 1995.

Coups were an annual feature of Syrian politics until defence minister Hafez al-Assad seized power and made short shrift of all opponents for 30 years until his death in 2000. His son Bashar al-Assad took over the presidency without any opposition whatsoever.

Afghanistan’s King Zahir Shah was overthrown in 1973 by his cousin and former Prime Minister Sardar Mohammad Daoud. Five years later, President Daoud himself was brutally murdered by military officers along with his entire family. His successor, Nur Mohammad Tarakai was smothered with a pillow by his deputy, Hafizullah Amin, who was killed during the Soviet invasion. President Najibullah was killed and left dangling from a lamppost on a Kabul street by the Taliban after being dragged from a UN compound where he had taken refuge.

All six ex-Soviet Muslim Central Asian republics are dictatorships, ruled either by the same leader who took charge at birth — Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan — or his son — Azerbaijan — or his lackey — Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan’s Saparmurat Niyazov had awarded himself the presidency for life and the title of Turkmenbashi — the leader of Turkmen. Not just his statues dotted the landscape, but also the months of the year were renamed. Being a good oriental son, he named one month after his mother and some more after himself and his family.

Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev has recently instigated a move to cancel the next two presidential elections, as they are ‘unnecessary’, considering his indispensability for the good of the Kazakh nation.

In the absolute monarchies of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, UAE, Kuwait and Morocco, succession has been peaceful, as the incumbent’s son or brother has been installed as ruler on the family fiefdom in this world when the erstwhile ruler has passed to the next.

Lest readers should think that the urge to perpetuate oneself and one’s progenies in power is a Muslim or Arab monopoly, a few examples from elsewhere are in order.

Byelorussia — Belarus — a country situated in Eastern Europe, which became independent as a result of the disintegration of the USSR, has been ruled by President Alexander Lukashenko ever since independence. He brooks no dissent and shows no sign of going. Byelorussia has been called Europe’s ‘last dictatorship’.

Robert Mugabe, at 85, soldiers on as president of Zimbabwe despite making a shambles of the economy and losing elections. After 30 years in power, he had not had enough! In Burma, nameless and faceless generals who hold the country by the throat since 1962, have almost strangulated a rich country.

Last but not least on the list, of course, is North Korea, the self-proclaimed ‘Communist Paradise’. North Korea can be accused of many things but being Muslim is not one of them. In theory, it is atheistic, but in practice the cult of the Kim family borders on the religious. When the ‘Great Leader’ Kim II Sung passed away in 1994 after ruling for 46 years, the mantle passed to his son, ‘Dear Leader’ Kim Jong II. Recently, Papa (Junior) Kim has introduced his son Kim Jong Un to the world. This is believed to be the first step towards anointing him as his successor.

Returning to where we began, where did Ben Ali of Tunisia flee for dear life? Saudi Arabia. Readers will, of course, remember that Saudi Arabia had also been home to ‘heavy mandate’ Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif when General Pervez Musharraf and his fellow generals had sent him packing.

What readers may not remember is that Idi Amin, ‘president for life’ of Uganda, had also found refuge with his many wives in Saudi Arabia after he was put on the run by Tanzanian troops in 1979. Poor Amin, he had been in power for only eight years! Comparing him with the rest, one has to admit that there is no fairness in this world!

The writer can be contacted at raziazmi@hotmail.com