# *Detailed SUMMARY of the Article "Perils and Promise of Democracy," by Tariq Khosa, Dawn, January 31st, 2025*: The article explores the challenges and potential of democracy, emphasizing the importance of accepting electoral defeat for democratic stability. It references political scientist Adam Przeworski’s assertion that democracy thrives when parties learn to lose. The peaceful transfer of power in the US, despite Donald Trump’s controversial past behavior, is cited as an example. Levitsky and Ziblatt argue that democracy stabilizes when losing parties believe they have a fair chance in future elections and do not view defeat as an existential threat. The article applies these insights to Pakistan’s troubled democratic history, where semi-loyal politicians—who outwardly support democracy but enable authoritarianism—have undermined democratic institutions. The role of Pakistan’s military establishment in influencing political leadership is highlighted, with examples of politicians who initially gained favor but later faced repression. The article calls for political leaders to prioritize civilian supremacy over allegiance to unelected forces. It proposes a grand national reconciliation, urging political parties to unite for a 27th constitutional amendment to restore democratic integrity. Key reforms suggested include depoliticizing the military, ensuring judicial independence, appointing an impartial election commissioner, reducing assembly tenures, strengthening local government, and creating an independent accountability commission. The article concludes by warning against authoritarianism and advocating for genuine democratic progress. # *Easy/Short SUMMARY*: The article discusses the challenges facing democracy and the importance of accepting election results for democratic stability. It highlights how some Pakistani politicians enable authoritarianism by aligning with undemocratic forces. The military’s influence over political leaders has led to repeated power struggles, weakening democracy. The article calls for political parties to unite and enact reforms, including limiting military involvement in politics, ensuring judicial independence, and strengthening local governments. It emphasizes that democracy can only flourish if leaders commit to civilian supremacy and accountability. # *SOLUTIONS of The Problem*: ## Promoting a Culture of Accepting Electoral Defeat Political leaders must recognize that losing elections is part of democracy and focus on future campaigns rather than resisting results. ## Reducing Military Interference in Politics The military establishment must remain neutral, and its leadership should have fixed tenures without extensions. ## Ensuring Judicial Independence The most senior Supreme Court judge should automatically become the Chief Justice, and the number of judges should be fixed at 17. ## Strengthening Election Oversight A new, impartial Chief Election Commissioner should be appointed through a transparent process involving both government and opposition leaders. ## Reforming Parliamentary Structure The tenure of national and provincial assemblies should be reduced to four years for better accountability. ## Strengthening Local Governance Regular and fair local government elections should be conducted to ensure grassroots democracy. ## Establishing an Independent Accountability System A National Accountability Commission, led by the FIA, should oversee anti-corruption efforts independently. ## Encouraging Political Unity for Reforms Political parties must work together to implement democratic reforms and reduce reliance on unelected institutions. ## Ending the Influence of "Semi-Loyal" Politicians Leaders must commit to true democratic principles rather than supporting authoritarian tactics for short-term gains. ## Public Awareness and Political Education Citizens must be educated about the importance of democracy and the risks of authoritarian rule to ensure active civic engagement. # *IMPORTANT Facts and Figures Given in the Article*: - Political scientist Adam Przeworski defines democracy as a system where parties lose elections but continue to participate. - The peaceful transfer of power in the US contrasts with Pakistan’s history of political instability. - Levitsky and Ziblatt argue that democracy stabilizes when losing parties believe in fair future opportunities. - Pakistan’s political system suffers from "semi-loyal" politicians who enable authoritarianism. - The military has historically influenced civilian governments, leading to repeated democratic failures. - The article proposes a 27th constitutional amendment to restore democratic principles. - Six major reforms are suggested, including judicial independence, military depoliticization, and local governance strengthening. # *MCQs from the Article*: ### 1. *According to the article, what is essential for democracy to take root?* A. Military oversight of elections B. One-party rule *C. Acceptance of electoral defeat* D. Unlimited tenures for political leaders ### 2. *Which political scientist coined the term "semi-loyal" politicians?* A. Adam Przeworski B. Steven Levitsky *C. Juan Linz* D. Daniel Ziblatt ### 3. *What does the article propose as a key step to strengthening democracy in Pakistan?* A. Military-led governance reforms B. Extending assembly tenures to six years *C. Implementing a 27th constitutional amendment* D. Increasing judicial appointments by political leaders ### 4. *Why do some parties refuse to accept electoral defeat, according to Levitsky and Ziblatt?* A. They lack faith in future electoral chances B. They fear losing everything C. They see defeat as an existential threat *D. All of the above* ### 5. *What major reform is suggested for the judiciary?* A. Allowing political appointments of judges B. Increasing the retirement age to 70 C. Expanding the Supreme Court to 21 judges *D. Fixing the Chief Justice appointment based on seniority* # *VOCABULARY*: 1. **Perilous** (adjective) (خطرناک): Full of danger or risk. 2. **Authoritarianism** (noun) (آمریت): A system of government where power is concentrated in a few hands. 3. **Accomplice** (noun) (ساتھی مجرم): A person who helps another commit a crime or wrongdoing. 4. **Machinations** (noun) (چالاک منصوبے): Secret or complicated plans or schemes. 5. **Browbeat** (verb) (دھمکانا): To intimidate or bully someone into doing something. 6. **Reconciliation** (noun) (مصالحت): The restoration of friendly relations. 7. **Polity** (noun) (نظام حکومت): A politically organized society or government. 8. **Incumbent** (noun) (موجودہ عہدے دار): A person currently holding a political office. 9. **Constituents** (noun) (ووٹرز): The people politicians represent in a democracy. 10. **Supremacy** (noun) (بالادستی): The state of being the highest in power or authority. 📢 *Attention Please!* We appreciate your commitment to acquiring knowledge through our summaries. Please be reminded not to remove the attribution label affixed to this article. It is crucial to acknowledge the source and the effort invested in creating this summary. We discourage any unauthorized distribution without proper credit. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 🔍 ⚡ *Explore More Summaries, Solutions, and Vocabulary Meanings!* 💡 Join our WhatsApp Channel for timely and comprehensive summaries of the latest articles, along with well-crafted solutions and helpful vocabulary meanings. Click the link below to join now: 🔗 [Dawn Article Summaries](https://cssmcqs.com/dawn-editorials-articles-summary-for-students-pdf-download/) *WhatsApp Channel Link* https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va7tT3o35fLnJeFbpS2y www.dawn.com Perils and promise of democracy Tariq Khosa 6 - 8 minutes AS political scientist Adam Przeworski said, “Democracy is a system in which parties lose elections.” Loss in elections is but a part of the democratic process. The losers accept defeat and then work towards winning the next elections. We recently saw a peaceful transfer of power in the US, when Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th US president. Earlier, he had failed to concede defeat to Joe Biden in his 2020 re-election bid. His supporters had even attacked the Capitol where Congress was meeting on Jan 6, 2021, to endorse the victory of the challenger over the then president. Trump refused to attend Biden’s 2021 inauguration. This time, the losers displayed grace in defeat: both president Biden and the defeated vice president Kamala Harris sat through the victor’s humiliating tirade with dignity. The Republican president denounced the outgoing Democrat’s record as a “betrayal” of Americans by a “radical and corrupt establishment”. The veteran of 52 years in politics smiled in disbelief as Trump declared, “From this moment on, America’s decline is over.” Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt in their book Tyranny of the Minority state: “Once parties learn to lose, democracy can take root. And once democracy takes root, alternation in power becomes so routine that people take it for granted.” What enables the norm of accepting defeat to take hold? Levitsky and Ziblatt say two conditions help. “First, parties are most likely to accept defeat when they believe they stand a reasonable chance of winning again in the future. … A second condition in accepting defeat is the belief that losing power will not bring a catastrophe … but if the stakes are too high, and the losing parties fear they will lose everything, they will be reluctant to relinquish power.” Here is their conclusion: “When defeat feels like an existential threat to politicians or their constituents, they grow desperate to avoid it.” This is precisely the saga of Pakistan’s perilous journey of democracy to authoritarian rule. When mainstream politicians adopt the expedient path of semi-loyalty, anti-democratic forces are strengthened. Political scientist Juan Linz calls those who are committed to democracy “loyal democrats”. They respect the outcome of free and fair elections, whatever it may be, and shun violence to achieve political goals, as opposed to those who openly support military coups or deploy thugs or militias to browbeat opponents or intimidate voters. There is another category of politicians who act as accomplices to “democracy’s assassins”; they are what Linz calls the “semi-loyal” species who appear to abide by democratic principles, while quietly assaulting them and turning a blind eye to oppression and persecution. They enable authoritarianism and are tucked away in the hallways of power. When mainstream politicians adopt the expedient path of semi-loyalty, anti-democratic forces are strengthened, resulting in the collapse of democracy. Pakistan’s dilemma is an abundance of semi-loyalists, self-centred leaders of the mainstream political parties, which have been in and out of power due to the machinations of the military establishment and the deep state. The leadership of the mainstream political parties in Pakistan have paid a heavy price by aligning themselves with unelected, undemocratic forces; those who defied the deep state for the sake of civilian supremacy were made a horrible example of. A leader of a liberal and progressive political party was sent to the gallows and his daughter, who led the party after him, was assassinated. The party’s current leadership has abandoned the founder’s vision. Then a family of traders in Lahore was propped up and groomed in the establishment’s foundry in the 1980s and 1990s. Both political dynasties took turns in power but invariably ended up annoying those pulling the strings; the latter then betted on a new horse. The charisma and leadership traits of the sports hero, who had been lost for over two decades in the political wilderness, finally came in handy and he took on the two political dynasties. He too got his turn in power but, like his predecessors, ended up on the wrong side of his patrons. The political parties now stand at a crossroads: they can either continue to play second fiddle to the dominant establishment or aim to become loyal democrats to put the nation on the path to a tolerant, law-abiding polity. The situation demands a grand national reconciliation. The leadership of all the mainstream political parties have suffered at the hands of unelected forces. They must sit together to carve out a new charter of governance in the form of a 27th constitutional amendment to establish civilian supremacy and undo the adverse effects of the 26th Amendment that has undermined both judicial independence and parliamentary efficacy. The incarcerated leader and the leadership of the presently governing parties must end the tyranny of the minority by admitting their mistakes. There is a need to develop a consensus on the following points. One, the military establishment and the deep state must have nothing to do with politics. The chiefs of the forces should have a fixed tenure of three years, with no extensions. Two, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court must become chief justice and retire at 65. The number of Supreme Court judges should revert to 17 and the full court should be the constitutional court. Three, for free and fair elections, a new chief election commissioner has to be appointed after consultation between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, but his appointment should have the Senate’s endorsement. Four, the tenure of the national and provincial assemblies should be reduced to four years. Five, local self-government is a vital foundation of democracy. Free and fair local government elections must be held across the country. Six, to break the nexus of corruption and politics, an independent ‘National Accountability Commission’ should be established with the FIA as the lead anti-corruption agency. Authoritarianism leads to democracy’s demise. Let the genuine promise of democracy bear fruit. The writer is a former inspector-general of police. Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2025