I'm a little astonished by this revelation.
While Bhutto's son will certainly have a degree of name recognition, but I find it hard to believe that at the age of 19 he'll be ready to "take the reins" from his father anytime soon.
Although it creates a certain "image" of consistency for the party in the short term, it seems to me that it also tells us something indirectly about the state of "democratic" politics in Pakistan. When party leadership is decided not by the party membership but its executive - who have clearly tried to make a dynasty of sorts out of the Bhutto family - it tells us just how very limited the concept of democracy as we understand it is in that nation.
I suspect that if a public vote goes ahead in early January, that Pakistan will collapse into civil war shortly after that. In the wake of Mrs. Bhutto's assassination, it seems likely to me that any election outcome is going to be seen as illegitimate by whatever factions do not gain the power that they claim is their due.
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4 comments:
Did you post this before you had your coffee? Wouldn't Bhutto's son be "taking the reins" from his mother, not his father? Also, I'm not clear on what this has to do with the "state of 'democratic' politics in Afghanistan."
Oops - I meant to say Pakistan - my bad.
My point vis a vis Bhutto's son was that his father's "joint" control over the party has created a situation not unlike the regency arrangements seen in late Medieval/early Renaissance monarchies when the designated heir is underage or otherwise "too weak" to govern.
Her son isn't really in control, and won't be for quite some time.
Though to some extent it's not unlike the hold the Ghandi's had on the Indian Congress party for decades. In a way it is how politics in the region play out.
One quick correction on the note about Ghandi's hold on India. It was actually Nehru's family that had the hold and he actually added Ghandi's name to his own as a way to honour and commemorate Ghandi (and legitimize his taking the reins of power in India).
As for Bhutto's son taking the control of the PPP, it will be his father who will be acting leader until the son finishes university, and survives any assassination attempts that might occur. With the background & baggage that Bhutto's husband brings into the political arena the PPP will have it's hands full for the next several years trying to clean its image up and win over the extremist elements.
And as for the 'democratic' issues within Afghanistan being affected by Pakistan, yes this will indirectly affect Afghanistan. Without even the nominal support currently being offered by Pakistan the situation would be worse. Pakistan plays a very dangerous balancing game between the NATO powers and the Taliban/Al Qaeda/drug lords. Musharraf's country is a conduit for the latter's forces/money into the region, and a conduit for the drug trade's heroin. And though Iran's official line in 'non interference' nothing is stopping them from sending funds & weapons into the region through the N.W.F.R. province. So if Pakistan falls to the extremist forces, NATO & Afghanistan will be in for a world of hurt.
E.
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