Research on the culture of democracy in political parties has found the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) the least democratic among eight mainstream parties. It is pity that most political parties are being run by a few individuals and families, without holding elections in their parties, which has distorted the democratic system in the country.
According to an assessment by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), a think tank focused on political and public policy research, the PML-N is the least democratic political party when it comes to handling its internal affairs. The research focused on eight mainstream political parties, which received an overall score of 40 out of 100, indicating a drop from the overall score of 43pc in 2014. Five of them hold the largest number of seats in the National Assembly. According to the report, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) tops with percentage of 56. The Hasil Bizenjo-led National Party (NP) stands second with 47pc and the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) third at 44.
The fourth spot was claimed by the Awami National Party (ANP) with 40pc, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 36pc, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), both 33pc, and the last PML-N at 31. The ruling PML-N’s irregular or no party meetings, lack of competitive elections and continuation of the same leadership since the founding of the party, are factors perceived as major weaknesses in the democratic character of the party. The report shows the state of internal democracy of political parties – although not in good shape the previous year – further deteriorated in 2015.
Regular elections, changes in the leadership through polls, meetings of consultative councils and working committees and discouragement of dynastic leadership helped the JI bag first position on the democratic political party scale. The NP emerged as the second most democratic party after a significant improvement in its fourth position the previous year. Regular changes in the top leadership since its founding in 2003, transparent party elections held in 2015 for all four provincial chapters, and lack of any sign of dynastic leadership have improved its democratic credentials.
To assess democracy within political parties objectively and scientifically, a framework consisting of 12 indicators was devised by a broad-based steering committee. Three other parties were chosen to either represent Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or capture a peculiar brand of internal democracy in the form of the JI. A party-wise account of each of the 12 indicators was compiled after collecting data from various sources, including the political parties. The account became the basis of quantitative assessment (scoring) for the parties. It observed an almost converse relationship between the quality of internal democracy of political parties and their mass popularity. “The PML-N, MQM and PPP are popular parties and their weak internal democracy has not come in the way of their mass appeal. The JI and NP, on the other hand, were rated the most democratic parties but seemed to have a weak mass appeal,” it noted.
“The PTI’s 2012-13 party elections were among the most popularly contested and elaborate party elections in the country’s history but these turned out to be deeply flawed, by the party’s own admission. The next PTI election, which is scheduled this year, will decide not only the party’s own democratic credentials, but the success or failure of the experiment may also decide the future trends in internal party elections of political parties in Pakistan,” the report observed.
The research, despite being a good effort to assess internal democracy in political parties, has many flaws. The JI has been placed at the top of the list despite the fact that it is not truly democratic in nature. Everybody is not eligible for its membership. It has a three-tier membership system, with only a few thousand full-time workers. Its party elections remain secret to the general public. The National Party is open to all and holds elections but it is not a mainstream party and has limited appeal outside Balochistan. The JUI-F holds elections but its affairs are also not transparent.
The report has pointed out irregularities in the PTI polls but placed the PPP at fourth position, which has never held elections in the party. It should have lauded the PTI for holding the election, a rare phenomenon in Pakistan. The party had no role model in the country that was why it faced problems. It is hoped its next elections will be far better and fairer.
However, there is no surprise that the ruling PML-N is the least democratic of all political parties. No research was needed to prove it. It is no secret that all party and national affairs are decided by the Sharif family alone. The PML-N leadership is accused of favouring family members and cronies and doling out important public posts to its close aides or loyalists. At least 22 relatives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are in politics, including his brother, who is the chief minister of the Punjab, a nephew, who is a state minister for power, and the finance minister is father-in-law to his daughter. According to critics, he has not appointed a single person as head of a department on merit. The only criterion has been personal links. Almost all government departments are headed by his favourites. The prime minister also appointed his daughter Maryam Nawaz to head the Prime Minister’s Youth Loan Programme but she had to resign on a Lahore High Court order, which asked the federal government to replace her on a petition questioning the legality of the appointment. Over one billion rupees were put at her disposal for distribution among the youth, apparently to wean them away from Imran Khan’s PTI.
In Pakistan, major political parties act like dynasties and all main offices are held by close relatives and favourites. Politicians have become richer, but the common man suffers. Workers only act as voters. They get nothing in return. Their role is confined to voting in elections while the fruits of democracy only reach politicians. The PTI has changed the culture, but nepotism exists at lower level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where its rules. People of the country are also to blame for the undemocratic attitudes of their leaders and politicians. They worship personalities, rather than policies, and fall prey to gimmicks in every election. They will have to change their mindset to bring about a change in the thinking of their leaders to extract their due share in the fruits of democracy.
According to an assessment by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), a think tank focused on political and public policy research, the PML-N is the least democratic political party when it comes to handling its internal affairs. The research focused on eight mainstream political parties, which received an overall score of 40 out of 100, indicating a drop from the overall score of 43pc in 2014. Five of them hold the largest number of seats in the National Assembly. According to the report, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) tops with percentage of 56. The Hasil Bizenjo-led National Party (NP) stands second with 47pc and the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) third at 44.
The fourth spot was claimed by the Awami National Party (ANP) with 40pc, followed by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) 36pc, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), both 33pc, and the last PML-N at 31. The ruling PML-N’s irregular or no party meetings, lack of competitive elections and continuation of the same leadership since the founding of the party, are factors perceived as major weaknesses in the democratic character of the party. The report shows the state of internal democracy of political parties – although not in good shape the previous year – further deteriorated in 2015.
Regular elections, changes in the leadership through polls, meetings of consultative councils and working committees and discouragement of dynastic leadership helped the JI bag first position on the democratic political party scale. The NP emerged as the second most democratic party after a significant improvement in its fourth position the previous year. Regular changes in the top leadership since its founding in 2003, transparent party elections held in 2015 for all four provincial chapters, and lack of any sign of dynastic leadership have improved its democratic credentials.
To assess democracy within political parties objectively and scientifically, a framework consisting of 12 indicators was devised by a broad-based steering committee. Three other parties were chosen to either represent Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa or capture a peculiar brand of internal democracy in the form of the JI. A party-wise account of each of the 12 indicators was compiled after collecting data from various sources, including the political parties. The account became the basis of quantitative assessment (scoring) for the parties. It observed an almost converse relationship between the quality of internal democracy of political parties and their mass popularity. “The PML-N, MQM and PPP are popular parties and their weak internal democracy has not come in the way of their mass appeal. The JI and NP, on the other hand, were rated the most democratic parties but seemed to have a weak mass appeal,” it noted.
“The PTI’s 2012-13 party elections were among the most popularly contested and elaborate party elections in the country’s history but these turned out to be deeply flawed, by the party’s own admission. The next PTI election, which is scheduled this year, will decide not only the party’s own democratic credentials, but the success or failure of the experiment may also decide the future trends in internal party elections of political parties in Pakistan,” the report observed.
The research, despite being a good effort to assess internal democracy in political parties, has many flaws. The JI has been placed at the top of the list despite the fact that it is not truly democratic in nature. Everybody is not eligible for its membership. It has a three-tier membership system, with only a few thousand full-time workers. Its party elections remain secret to the general public. The National Party is open to all and holds elections but it is not a mainstream party and has limited appeal outside Balochistan. The JUI-F holds elections but its affairs are also not transparent.
The report has pointed out irregularities in the PTI polls but placed the PPP at fourth position, which has never held elections in the party. It should have lauded the PTI for holding the election, a rare phenomenon in Pakistan. The party had no role model in the country that was why it faced problems. It is hoped its next elections will be far better and fairer.
However, there is no surprise that the ruling PML-N is the least democratic of all political parties. No research was needed to prove it. It is no secret that all party and national affairs are decided by the Sharif family alone. The PML-N leadership is accused of favouring family members and cronies and doling out important public posts to its close aides or loyalists. At least 22 relatives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif are in politics, including his brother, who is the chief minister of the Punjab, a nephew, who is a state minister for power, and the finance minister is father-in-law to his daughter. According to critics, he has not appointed a single person as head of a department on merit. The only criterion has been personal links. Almost all government departments are headed by his favourites. The prime minister also appointed his daughter Maryam Nawaz to head the Prime Minister’s Youth Loan Programme but she had to resign on a Lahore High Court order, which asked the federal government to replace her on a petition questioning the legality of the appointment. Over one billion rupees were put at her disposal for distribution among the youth, apparently to wean them away from Imran Khan’s PTI.
In Pakistan, major political parties act like dynasties and all main offices are held by close relatives and favourites. Politicians have become richer, but the common man suffers. Workers only act as voters. They get nothing in return. Their role is confined to voting in elections while the fruits of democracy only reach politicians. The PTI has changed the culture, but nepotism exists at lower level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where its rules. People of the country are also to blame for the undemocratic attitudes of their leaders and politicians. They worship personalities, rather than policies, and fall prey to gimmicks in every election. They will have to change their mindset to bring about a change in the thinking of their leaders to extract their due share in the fruits of democracy.
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