Democracy is all you need?
Dr Nitasha Kaul
Many elections around the world have been making news recently. The international community, in particular the West, confers congratulations upon every country that enters the hallowed halls of democracy, or renews its membership there. Democracy and free markets are seen as the indispensable ingredients to the mantra of progress. Against this background, consider the example of political changes in Bhutan and Zimbabwe: a comparison of apples and pears, given the vast differences in almost everything concerned with these two landlocked countries. Both the Eastern Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and the Southern African country of Zimbabwe had elections recently, yet the contrast could not be starker.
Bhutan’s path to democracy was gradual, dictated at its own pace, suited to its own needs, and in line with its own interests. The vast majority of the Bhutanese would have preferred to continue with the monarchy because they have seen stability and well being under the 34-year long reign of the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, of the hereditary Wangchuck dynasty that was established in 1907. Nonetheless, the King himself initiated the decentralisation of power, and the electoral institutions, regulatory mechanisms, legal constitutional frameworks were put into place over several years. There was extensive voter education, mock elections, careful formulation of candidate criteria, scrutiny of the political parties at every stage, and a rigorous effort on behalf of the Election Commission of Bhutan to ensure clean politics.
The political parties—DPT (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) and the PDP (People’s Democratic Party)—voluntarily decided to refrain from rallies due to their divisive aspect, and the elections went off in a decidedly peaceful manner. A voter turnout of 79.4% for the National Assembly elections on 24 March 2008 resulted in 45 of the 47 seats for the DPT, and its leader Jigme Y. Thinley promised that it would govern responsibly. The foreign media lauded Bhutan briefly before moving on to other ‘more happening’ stories of elections held hostage to rigging, violence, strife, deaths. To the world, Bhutan is a forgotten tiny ‘Shangri La’, an exotic destination for high paying tourists – people just aren’t that interested in knowing the political landscape there.
Contrast that to news stories about Zimbabwe that have a huge media interest: Robert Mugabe, the 84 year old who cannot bring himself to give up power, his Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU PF) that will use any tactic possible to manipulate the first round election results where the opposition MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) led by Morgan Tsvangirai did well enough to pose a credible challenge, an electoral atmosphere that is far from free and fair, and a wider agenda with deciding which leaders, African or others, are the best mediators in this situation. It would seem from the news reports that the panacea to all Zimbabwe’s ills is to vote or shove Mugabe out of power. The high degree of Western interest in Zimbabwe is indicative of the belief that rogue rulers must be ousted by pushing democracy as a cure-all solution.
While Mugabe’s exit will make good news and British media among others will be able to report from Harare, will the poster President Tsvangirai be able to heal the country that is torn by repression, suffering, and acute deprivation? Democracy will surely help, but it isn’t a magic wand that can be waved everywhere alike. In a context that is already tension-ridden, democracy can also create more divisions, work solely for the victors, and exacerbate the conflicting interest groups. The point is that democracy isn’t in and of itself always the right or the only answer. It depends on what kind of democracy, where, with what genesis, motivating factors, preparation, and political culture.
The average life expectancy of a Zimbabwean is about half that of a Bhutanese. The current issue of the Bhutanese national newspaper Kuensel reports concerns over the possibility of inflation crossing the 6 per cent mark, in Zimbabwe the inflation stands at 165,000 per cent with the Bank issuing notes of ten million denomination. In the Bhutanese elections, voting was promoted as a ‘sacred right’ in order to build a ‘vibrant democracy’ – the vote was a precious jewel, a ‘norbu’, that must be exercised in order to actualise the ‘gift’ of democracy that came from the throne. In Zimbabwe the voters are cheated and disenfranchised by the ruling party, and the opposition calls for strikes impose further livelihood hardship and violent clashes. The daydream of Bhutan and the nightmare of Zimbabwe both exist contemporaneously in the present day world. The poisonous colonial legacy in Zimbabwe, absence of a political leader with an inclusive nationalist vision, failure of post-colonial state building, and the polarising influence of partisan Western criticism have all contributed to the messy elections in Zimbabwe, where the country is sure to remain divided regardless of the outcome. There may be only one Bhutan in the world – where democracy was not grafted but grown from its seeds, seen as a means to the end of creating a GNH state, a state that privileges Gross National Happiness (GNH) alongside traditional growth indicators – and there is much to learn from it.
Democracy is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for progress. It is a particular governing mechanism that is least worst in most places. Democracy promotion through elections cannot be an end in itself. Political cultures, historical trajectories, internal and external socio-economic dynamics are some of the factors which shape governance expectations and people’s participation in a democracy. Democracy as a concept must be pluralized to meaningfully accommodate the experiences and ideals of a wider non-western community of world nations. As always, it isn’t the destination but the road to democracy that is more important.Dr Nitasha Kaul is a writer and academic at the Centre for the Study of Democracy, University of Westminster, London. Her next book Snapshot of a Changing Kingdom: Democracy and Identity in Bhutan is forthcoming
0 comments on Democracy is all you need?