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‘Democratic’ ethnic cleansing

THE discourse on democracy in the West — in particular — is self-congratulatory, and other systems that have delivered hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, hunger, illness, illiteracy…

Governance & competent states

THE global debate over governance continues — what constitutes good governance and how it helps to determine the fate and fortunes of nations. It is axiomatic that effective governance and…

Breakaway states

MOST states today are either historical ones or were made by colonisers. Only a few broke away from larger states after World War II. Excluding non-UN member breakaway regions like…

Unstable states

We face today one of the worst bouts of political instability to have plagued us since 1947. Some states like India are stable with regular fair polls. Others see polls…

A democratic Senate?

A few days back, the Senate passed a resolution seeking a delay in the upcoming general election for which polling day is scheduled for February 8, 2024. The reasoning given…

Ensuring democratic foundations

As declared and guaranteed by Article 17 of the constitution of Pakistan, every person shall have the right to form groups or unions, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by…

Democratic alternative

When Joe Biden won the presidential election in the United States three years ago, there were some hopes within the pro-Palestinian movement that there would be a positive change in…

A democratic and inclusive Afghanistan

Millions of Afghans face the spectre of hunger and starvation. The recent devastating earthquake is likely to complicate the situation, pushing more Afghans below the poverty line, adding to the…

Age of democratic erosion

PRESIDENT Joe Biden’s initiative to hold a virtual ‘Summit for Democracy’ has been variously interpreted. Many in the West saw this as a timely effort to reinvigorate democracies, put the…