Pakistan People's Party's new chairman will be a nineteen year-old whose main qualification is that he's Benazir Bhutto's son. I was going to say something snarky about how that reflects on the PPP's credentials as tribunes of liberalism and reform, but of course the odds of us going Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton in the White House look pretty good so there's really no call for jokes. The Times, meanwhile, looks further afield and refers to "an abiding dynastic streak in South Asian politics — three generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family have dominated politics in India, and hereditary politics pervade Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well."
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The Bhutto Party
30 Dec 2007 10:17 pm
Comments (30)
Yes, the US is fast becoming a dynastic democracy but that doesn't mean that all American nationals are forbidden from pointing out the dangers of this kind of pattern. Moreover, the kid is NINETEEN YEARS OLD. That would be akin to making Chelsea Clinton head of the DNC back when she was a sophomore at Stanford.
Although, come to think of it, she may have been preferable to Terry McAulliffe....
With the boy king and queen hillary having as their only qualifications is that they too are related to former leaders.
How 3rd world of us.
Actually, I'd trust the 19 year old kid. He's not going to be making any decisions however, his father is. His father almost certainly killed said kid's uncle in a graft pissing match over the governership of Sindh province, and is generally a blight to humanity.
The guy has had barely enough time to properly assemble Ivy League friends. I hope Pinky knew what she was doing.
Pinky left the spot to her husband, he's "passed" and made his son the chair with him being co-chair.
Well, the son may get the sympathy vote in the Union elections, but he won't be doing that for a year or so. But he knows what he needs to do, and at Christ Church, he has every opportunity.
The alternative was dragging Benazir's sister back from London: she's a single mother. But Matt missed one bit of the 'political will': adding 'Bhutto' to perpetuate the dynastic name.
Look, the PPP is 'the Bhutto party', and the one silver lining I hoped for was an ability to get beyond it. But, there ya go.
The distinction between the Nehru/Gandhi dynastic line in Indian politics and the Bhuttos in Pakistan is that India hasn't had the interminable cycle of military and civilian rule. When Bofors destroyed Rajiv Gandhi's reputation, the result was that another party took over; corruption in Pakistan (not in Benazir's case, but Sharif's) usually means that the generals take over.
Except for 75-77 when Indira Gandhi turned the country into a dictatorship. And then lost elections. And then won them again.
Not that it's the same situation as Pakistan, but there was surely danger of the India becoming a far more repressive One Party State than actually happened.
In one of the Bhutto retrospectives I read in the paper this morning it mentioned that Benazir was always playing for the sympathy of her Western media friends by explaining that "both her brothers had been martyred in the cause of freedom." Kinda funny, since it seems like she (or maybe her husband) was the one who killed them...
But maybe a continuing Bhutto dynasty would be a good thing. After all, if they marry that nineteen-year-old Bhutto to the Gandhi Heir of India, perhaps the Subcontinent could eventually be reunited.
Of course, they'd have to avoid getting blown up or shot or poisoned...
Now, let us imagine for a moment that PPP wins and this kid became PM of Pakistan. The question is: Is that a more grave situation than existing now, or had existed previously during Ms Bhutto's rule ?
The kid would certainly be "supported" by his dad playing a "mentor role". Dad will certainly be present in cabinet either explicitly as a "Prime-Minister Mentor" (I didn't invent this title, it exists: Singapore uses a similar title as a means of retaining elderly leadership talent in a mentorship role, in somewhat different circumstances though) or, the dad could play from behind the scenes (which has its risks, thus unlikely even in Pakistan).
When Ms Bhutto was PM, the kid's dad was "Mr 10 percent". With the kid as PM, I don't see how it would be different.
So, what difference between Ms Bhutto and the kid ? If Ms Bhutto can be PM, so can her son. The end results would be pretty much the same !
Also, imagine the extra advantage Condi Rice could have with a kid PM.
Now, let us imagine for a moment that PPP wins and this kid became PM of Pakistan.
He's not old enough to stand for election in Pakistan. You have to be a member of the National Assembly to become PM, at least according to the constitution. So, he's a boy king with a regent.
Sam L.: point taken. What can be said, at very least, is that by 1975 India had had nearly 30 years of civilian rule, while Pakistan had spent the same time alternating between civilian (47-58), military (58-71) and civilian rule.
It is kind of odd how in Asia to easiest way to become a (democratically elected) head of state or government is to be the daughter of a former leader (India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Korea?, Bangladesh, almost happened in Burma). This kid's age kind of disqualifies him for now unless the elites for whatever reason all pretend not to notice, which is not entirely outside the realm of possibility.
Is the kid going to be the party's candidate for PM or just the head of the party, like the Gandhi widow in India?
What kind of message will this send to the Bush twins or Chelsea? "Like, oh my god, if that paki kid could do it, so can we!"
Goes to show what a joke Pakistan really is. The boy's not even good looking, you'd think with the $1.5 billion his dad stole they could turn him into at least a Tom Cruise look-alike.
From a recent interview with Fatima Bhutto:
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Q. What about you? Who do you like?
FB: I have to say I like Obama a lot. His record is the best. He's always been vocal about his opposition to the war in Iraq. And he's speaking out against the Patriot Act. Frankly, he seems very good in a lot of ways. Whereas with Hillary, if you look at her record, it doesn't support what she says now. If I could vote in the American elections, Obama would get my vote.
-----------------
Let's see Hillary use that for propaganda purposes!
Absolutely pathetic that the Bhutto family (PPP) passes as enlightened, pro-Western democracy - along with a guy (Sharif) whose party wants to add more Sharia law to the stuff he already ramrodded through when he replaced the supremely corrupt Bhuttos.
The truth appears to be polls show that more people wish to vote for stable, less corrupt military rule and Musharaff than the Bhutto kleptocrats or Islamists.
Doesn't say much for Pakistan's legal system or Benazirs "Queen of Democracy and Progress" fans in the West that Mr. 10% - who looted 1.5 billion from a desperately poor country - is the one the bitch wants back in control after a pardon.
Maybe there are lessons for us (1)- a failing country reliant on dynastic politics like the NORKs or Assads - we with our 2nd picks JQ Adams and Bush II failures compared to their Dad Presidents. (2) Pervasive corruption poisons the smooth function of government and the economy by introducing morditas and willful assymetries and alienation of the People. Pakistan is a basketcase - but in America we see signs - we face mass 3rd world immigration legal and illegal the voters don't want, we have Agribiz using their bribes to taxpayers subsidizing them and paying for the ethanol they don't want that has caused a massive food goods price increase, we have teacher lobbies paralyzing educational reform, and oil&security&defense firms now maximizing their clout to better screw the citizens. (3)That like Pakistan, our present Partisan politics has put us in gridlock where nothing gets done. We have far too many people voting and in poltics that do not put America and The People that form America 1st.
Pakistan has their awful problems. But we are slowly becoming an ill-educated, corrupt, paralyzed, and uncompetitive nation ourselves.
From Dawn, one of the largest Pakistani newspapers, which also maintains print and video content on the web, in English.
PPP’s new leader
Dawn, Editorial, 31 December 2007THE unfortunate reality of South Asia´s dynastic politics was in evidence on Sunday as Bilawal Zardari, the 19-year-old son of the slain Pakistan People’s Party leader Benazir Bhutto, was approved as chairman by the central executive committee. But not before he, along with his sisters, decided to take on the Bhutto name. He will now be called Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Pakistan does not have a long democratic tradition but even democratic India is not immune from the magical attraction of political dynasties. Sadly, both here and across the border these dynasties are also haunted by tragedies...
...This effectively puts the party in co-chairman Asif Zardari’s hands. He seemed aware of the challenges he faces. He was very quick to try and isolate the fringe elements in Sindh, who were seeking to use Ms Bhutto’s killing to fan anti-Punjab sentiments, saying he’d been pained by ´Pakistan na khapay´ (Don’t want Pakistan) slogans at her graveside. He reminded his audience that PPP was a party which believed in the federation. His appeal for calm included the advice to supporters to seek their revenge at the ballot box – confirming that the party will take part in elections, which it wants should be held on schedule. In a deft move aimed at keeping unity in the party ranks, Makhdoom Amin Faheem was presented as the prime ministerial candidate. For the moment, most of the decisions taken by a traumatised PPP appear politically prudent. The party wishes to try and turn the tragedy of losing its leader into an electoral victory by continuing to have a Bhutto at the helm even if only as a figurehead for now and garnering the sympathy vote. It has been accused of using the ´Sindh card´ in the past, so its response to parochial slogans will appeal to a much broader support base. Now it is up to the government to ensure that it responds with assurances of free, fair and impartial elections and by conducting a transparent probe into Ms Bhutto’s assassination.
The PPP has also publicly requested a UN investigation into Bhutto's assassination.
Also, Tariq Ali has another essay out, this from The Independent.
My heart bleeds for Pakistan. It deserves better than this grotesque feudal charade
By Tariq Ali, Pakistan-born writer, broadcaster and commentator
Published: 31 December 2007
Six hours before she was executed, Mary, Queen of Scots wrote to her brother-in-law, Henry III of France: "...As for my son, I commend him to you in so far as he deserves, for I cannot answer for him." The year was 1587.
On 30 December 2007, a conclave of feudal potentates gathered in the home of the slain Benazir Bhutto to hear her last will and testament being read out and its contents subsequently announced to the world media. Where Mary was tentative, her modern-day equivalent left no room for doubt. She could certainly answer for her son.
A triumvirate consisting of her husband, Asif Zardari (one of the most venal and discredited politicians in the country and still facing corruption charges in three European courts) and two ciphers will run the party till Benazir's 19-year-old son, Bilawal, comes of age. He will then become chairperson-for-life and, no doubt, pass it on to his children. The fact that this is now official does not make it any less grotesque. The Pakistan People's Party is being treated as a family heirloom, a property to be disposed of at the will of its leader...
...Now both Hillary Clinton and Senator Joseph Biden, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, are pinning the convict's badge on Mr Musharraf and not al-Qa'ida for the murder, a sure sign that sections of the US establishment are thinking of dumping the President.
Their problem is that, with Benazir dead, the only other alternative for them is General Ashraf Kiyani, head of the army. Nawaz Sharif is seen as a Saudi poodle and hence unreliable, though, given the US-Saudi alliance, poor Mr Sharif is puzzled as to why this should be the case. For his part, he is ready to do Washiongton's bidding but would prefer the Saudi King rather than Mr Musharraf to be the imperial message-boy.
A solution to the crisis is available. This would require Mr Musharraf's replacement by a less contentious figure, an all-party government of unity to prepare the basis for genuine elections within six months, and the reinstatement of the sacked Supreme Court judges to investigate Benazir's murder without fear or favour. It would be a start.
http://comment.independent.co.uk/commentators/article3295851.ece
Excerpt. Follow link for complete article.
Final excerpt from teh damn for'n media:
Caught in the act: assassin shooting Bhutto
By Omar Waraich in Karachi, The Independent
Published: 31 December 2007Dramatic new photographs taken seconds before the murder of Benazir Bhutto cast serious doubt on the Pakistan government's official account of the death of the former prime minister. The three photographs – first published by Pakistan's Dawn News – appear to reveal Ms Bhutto's assassin advancing towards her vehicle, drawing out a pistol, and firing it at close range as the handful of security personnel duck for cover...
What a farce. Almost as bad as the US political system.
We really could use a constitutional amendment to prevent another Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton debacle.
Just, you know, saying...
"the handful of security personnel duck for cover..."
Now that's funny - 'cause these guys are supposed to be wearing T-shirts claiming "Read to die for Benazir".
I guess they weren't.
Morons that they are, they didn't even have vests.
Now it turns out that she tried to hire Blackwater guys from the US - and Musharraf wouldn't let her.
I was wondering why she didn't use her money to get some decent security - now we know.
Let's see, eight years of Hillary will find Jeb Bush at 62 years of age, and it will be long enough for his brother's reign to have been burnished to a Reaganesque glow; if he does two terms to 2024, that sets it up for Chelsea (who will be 44) and Jenna (43).
The Catfight in the Cage! The Ultimate Family Feud!!
Let's see, eight years of Hillary will find Jeb Bush at 62 years of age, and it will be long enough for his brother's reign to have been burnished to a Reaganesque glow; if he does two terms to 2024, that sets it up for Chelsea (who will be 44) and Jenna (43).
The Catfight in the Cage! The Ultimate Family Feud!!
Well, Chelsea will be 36 by 2016 if Mom serves two terms and will be meet the Constitutional Age requirement. As will be Jenna. So Jeb might be by-passed (although the family scandals and disaster with the local Government fund with investments in all those "safe" mortgage backed securities in the "The Big Shitpile" may be forgotten by then.
Re the Bloomberg boomlet, watching Wolf satiate for such a movement was like watching a pervert at a porn convention: so many stories to tell! so much air time talking heads can take up spinning out 3-horse race scenarios (emphasis on horse race).
Let's see, eight years of Hillary will find Jeb Bush at 62 years of age, and it will be long enough for his brother's reign to have been burnished to a Reaganesque glow; if he does two terms to 2024, that sets it up for Chelsea (who will be 44) and Jenna (43).
Don't forget George P. Bush.
It goes to show how truly democratic Benazir was. I pity her party members and all who looked toward her to bring democracy to Pakistan.
Her 19 year old son talks about 'revenge' and not of bringing the perpetrators who murdered his mother to justice. So much for Christchurch and his Oxford education. I hope his three year stay teaches him more than it did his mother. Plus he has Rehman Malik acting as his mentor and guide. He ran away from the country to escape corruption charges against him . Where were the judges and the lawyers then and where are they now ? Between Rehman Malik and Asif Zardari Mr. 90 % ( in his heyday ) what might the two crooks have to teach this young Zardari called Bhutto now !Will the people of Pakistan be robbed and looted again and again by the Bhutto's of this world.
At least the Nehru's and the Gandhi's did a great deal for India. The Bhutto's have grossly mismanaged the economy and driven Pakistan into a huge debt of 62 billion dollars.
At an absolute level Pakistan may have a somewhat worse political system than the US, but Pakistanis have one big saving grace: they don't pretend that their 'plutocratic-plus-some-aristocratic-plus-some-elections' system of government is the best in the world and urgently needs to be exported to the rest of us.
Comments closed January 13, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
The best part of the article:
Posted by Archit Shah | December 30, 2007 11:01 PM