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Dynastic politics

Despite huge political and social changes that have occurred over the last 60 years, electoral politics in Pakistan has remained largely a family enterprise. A limited number of families continue to dominate Pakistan’s legislatures, turning them into olig

Zahid Hussain, "Dynastic politics," Dawn. 2012-07-24.
Keywords: Political science , Political issues , Political process , Political parties , Political leaders , National issues , Democracy-Pakistan , Elections , Imran Khan , President Zardari , Nawaz Sharif , Shujaat Hussain , Gen Zia ul Haq , Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , Abdul Qadir Gilani , PM Gilani
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Dynastic politics

South Asia has been the most prone to dynastic politics. Ever wondered why 51 percent of all the poor in the world live in South Asia? Dynastic politics is “a succession of rulers from the same family or line”. In North Korea, Kim Jong-il took over the reins of power from his father Kim Il-sung.

Hafez al-Assad, the ninth president of Syria, was succeeded by Bashar al-Assad, the tenth president of Syria.

India has produced the only grandfather-daughter-grandson prime ministers; Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. General Ziaur Rahman and Begum Khaleda Zia have both ruled Bangladesh. PM Sheikh Hasina is President Mujibur Rahman’s daughter.

In Sri Lanka, PM Solomon Bandaranaike and his widow Sirimavo Bandaranaike were both prime ministers. Chandrika Kumaratunga, Bandaranaike’s daughter, served as the fifth president of Sri Lanka.

In Nepal, Girija Prasad Koirala, Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala and Matrika Prasad Koirala – brothers – have all been prime ministers.

Somehow, dynastic politics and poverty tend to coexist. According to the World Bank’s poverty headcount ratio at $2 a day, 68.7 percent of India’s population is poor. In Bangladesh, 76.5 percent of the population is poor. The poverty headcount in Nepal and Pakistan is 57.3 percent and 60.2 percent, respectively.

Somehow, dynastic politics and illiteracy also tend to coexist. According to Unesco, the rate of adult literacy in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh is 44 percent, 41.5 percent and 41.1 percent, respectively. Somehow, dynastic politics breed either poverty or illiteracy or both.

In Pakistan, look at the province of Sindh. Larkana, for instance, has produced two prime ministers but 43.33 percent of Larkana’s residents live below poverty and the literacy rate is a pathetic 32 percent.

Badin is National Assembly speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza’s constituency and Badin’s literacy rate of 23 percent is even lower than Larkana’s. Shikarpur and Thatta are two of the poorest districts in Sindh where half of the population actually lives in poverty.

Zoom into the province of Punjab. Jhelum, where the incidence of poverty is only three percent, is the ‘least poor district’ in Punjab.

Next in line are Gujrat, Chakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad where the incidence of poverty is in single digits.

Rajanpur, barely five hundred kilometres from Jhelum, is the poorest district in Punjab. Guess why? Then there’s Muzaffargarh and D G Khan where the incidence of poverty is 40 percent. Answer: These are all strongholds of Legharis, Mazaris, Khosas, Dreshaks and Khars.

Somehow, illiteracy and poverty also tend to coexist. Of all the districts in Pakistan, Naseerabad, Jhal Magsi, Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Kohistan and Musa Khel have the lowest rates of literacy. Incidentally, these are the districts that are also the poorest.

Dynastic politics is the strongest where political institutions are weak and personalities dominate; and where political parties refuse to transform from family fiefdoms to genuine political institutions.

Dynastic politics is all about political exclusion, which results in economic exclusion – and widespread poverty.

Historically, South Asia has been the most prone to dynastic politics. Well, there are 1.7 billion poor people in the world. Ever wondered why 51 percent of all the poor in the world live in South Asia?

The writer is a columnist based in Islamabad. Email: farrukh 15@hotmail.com

Farrukh Saleem, "Dynastic politics," The News. 2013-01-02.
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