Daily Times

Without harmony, unity and discipline there is no democracy much needed for a way forward to improving decision-making and goalsetting. Where have thinkers, managers and leaders gone? Rules and procedures/laws are guidelines for effectiveness and efficiency. Let us remove all road blocks. Periodic reviews are essential, to update policies and plans for documentation of what is needed to upgrade public representation, value of public and national interest and all that makes democracy meaningful. In its best form, democracy is likely to result in an effective delivery system and the satisfaction of the people.

Democracy is alive as long as disruption and corruption is tackled wisely and thoughtfully. Difference of opinions and approaches to look at things differently, is important in a democracy. But these differences should not take the form of conflicts. Issues are best solved through dialogue and conversations understandable to all those who could be affected or impacted. Cooperation is the key to a way forward. Politics of hate and revenge could never give any hope and satisfaction or happiness in a polity. A democratic good governance is not possible through threats and warnings. Only what it requires is mutual understanding, constitutional ways to find solutions to issues and show respect for all those willing to support national and public interest through cooperation and reconciliation.

Resistance to change must be overcome through a tested strategy. A new style and pattern of leadership needs to be evolved for special characteristics, development policy and administration, new narrative and conversations. Are we supporting independent thinking, do we adore ideas and ideologies to help build bridges to reduce differences in tensions? Are we on the way to nation-building and trying to encourage grooming up of national level leadership?

There is the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions which form the basis of democracy, accountability, empathy, vision and concern for the people

There is need to rethink democracy and politics of equality of opportunity that helps developing a society discouraging inequalities and disorganization in a community and a nation. Trends that appear to be negative must be reversed, especially in case of public representation, importing decision-making and implementation, and behaviour of those who are opinion makers, who can influence policy in politics in all circumstances. This also includes all those working for media in any form.

Experts/researchers like Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underline economic success (or lack of it). South and North Korea are remarkably homogeneous nations, yet the people of North Korea are amongst the poorest in the region, while their brothers and sisters in South Korea are amongst the richest. The South forged a society that created incentives, rewarded innovation, and allowed everyone to participate in economic opportunities. The economic success thus spurred was sustained because the government became accountable and responsible to citizens and the great mass of people. Sadly, the people of the North Korea have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions – with no end in sight. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created these completely different institutional trajectories. For a new economic theory, we have to learn from the way democracy and democratic institutions work. There is the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions which form the basis of democracy, accountability, empathy, vision and concern for the people. These are the indications of good times that true democracy makes possible.

To understand and predict more of a good times and bad times, we need to review and revise our knowledge of creative destruction, wars, colonialism, extractive institutions, dual economy, feudalism, poverty and inequalities, constructive and destructive revolutions, ways of managing panic situations like COVID pandemics and other calamities etc. and strategies which were put to use by government agencies and others. How did democracy help or fail internationally? What has been the performance of leadership across the globe? How did the world leaders look at politics, economy and factors that essentially relate to the performance of institutions such as government and style of public representation and institutions? Furthermore, what are dilemmas the innovators face? And what are experiences of leaders worldwide about conflict, extremism and resistance to modernity, as well as fundamentalism and terrorism using hate politics and prejudice against others values, beliefs and ways of living and lifestyle?

Speculating the new world order we need to imagine the settings and the change that comes with it. The rise of a new global power usually results in the corresponding spread of its peculiar governance structures. The structure of American democracy had developed in the post-world war II period. 2021 may be the first year of the rise of the East, and this new order, which seems to be evolving before our eyes today, will have profound impacts for Pakistan and its dysfunctional democratic enterprise. Those who come to the Chinese camp, may also have to grow out of the borrowed American model of the democracy and follow something closer to the “Chinese model”, where a loose democracy is coupled with a decisive writ of the state. Will Chinese camp allow to jeopardise CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor), or the larger Belt and Road initiative? Furthermore, is American influence dwindling? Is democracy failing, or has it failed? These are the questions for our attention now and in the immediate future.

Happy New Year.

The writer is a former director, National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) Government of Pakistan, a political analyst, a public policy expert and a published author. His book “Post 9/11 Pakistan” was published in the United States. His recent book “Existential Question for Pakistan”, a must read,  discusses a large range of important issues related to governance and policy, having importance and implications for a variety of professionals, policymakers, academics, politicians and administrators.