Two years of democratic presidency

The nation is marking not just two years of President Asif Ali Zardari in office, but, in fact marking his two years of election and working of a democratic presidency in Pakistan. A democratically elected President is unprecedented in Pakistan's history. President Asif Zardari is a symbol and guardian of the federation of Pakistan and his leadership has resulted in the revival, safety and strengthening of democratic federation.
What the democratic government has been able to achieve in the past two years, stands in stark contrast to what dictatorial presidents have done to Pakistan historically. President Zardari is a people's leader, who has undergone personal sufferings, martyrdom of his wife Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and transformed these into a political resolve to initiate national healing and deliverance. His genius and footprint in the democratic rebuilding of the Federation since September 2008 is evident.
He has been able to turn Shaheed Benazir Bhutto's philosophy of national reconciliation and democratic federation into a successful political reality for Pakistan and its relations with the rest of the world. He is a statesman, who has a futuristic vision for Pakistan's development. All the major initiatives of the government between the years 2008 and 2010 were advised by President Zardari, which he conceptualised and outlined in his first address to the joint sitting of the Parliament in September 2008 in accordance with the Charter of Democracy and the PPP 2008 elections manifesto.
During the last two years, he has addressed and redressed the existential challenges faced by the federation with the process of political reconciliation and following the principles of pluralist politics. These initiatives have been undertaken by the government according to the wishes of the people and in co-ordination and partnership with all democratic forces of the country.
The historical achievements of the government, unanimously passed by the parliament, have been signed by the democratically elected President as he believes these are in line with his vision of introducing good governance in the country. These include macroeconomic stability, the war against terrorism, 18th Amendment in the Constitution, 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) award, Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment & Self-Governance Order 2009, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Benazir Employees Stock Options Scheme, Revival of democratic foreign policy, legislative business, independent judiciary, free and vibrant media.
President Zardari's ongoing efforts for flood relief and recovery across the country have given a new meaning and strategy to the concepts of natural disaster management, climate change and environmental security. He has pledged that the government will make all possible efforts for the rehabilitation of flood victims across the country.
The President has voluntarily yielded his powers to the parliament in order to make it strong and sovereign. He is fulfilling the commitments made by Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and taking all decisions in the best national interest with political wisdom and sagacity to ensure stability by refraining from confrontation. He was taking along all the democratic and political forces while making important and vital decisions through working in harmonious manner by demonstrating spirit of mutual tolerance and evolving consensus on all major issues of national importance. It was due to the political acumen of the President that the government has been working on the path of constitutional governance, restored the independence of judiciary, rule of law, averted economic crisis and fighting the menace of extremism and terrorism.
The government has established the supremacy and sovereignty of the Constitution and the parliament. The nation has paid a heavy price for the restoration of true and real democracy. The PPP government was committed to steer the country out of the present crisis and would give a better Pakistan to its future generations. Nations that keep looking behind never go ahead and the PPP never did that as it strongly believes in service to the masses and was making earnest efforts in order to make them respectable and dignified citizens.
In the February 2008 general elections, the people elected the PPP at a crucial juncture when authoritarian rule had yet again pushed Pakistan to the brink and it was on the verge of default. The people choose to restore democracy because of their firm belief that it can win a lost war, settle all disputes, and make decisions with national consensus.
The masses know that democracy alone can protect the Constitution; consolidate the Federation by empowering all the provinces; uphold and promote cultural diversity, interfaith harmony and fundamental human rights. The world has seen and acknowledged how, in the last over two years, Pakistan's new democracy has delivered all these dividends, and yet some more. It has brought economic stability - the first step to correct the economic fundamentals that can ensure equitable and sustained growth, and provide food, shelter and livelihood to the citizens across the country without any discrimination. Democracy has now galvanised the elected representatives to legislate with a vision and vigour that has come second only to the performance of the first duly elected parliament of 1972-77. The government is cleansing the Constitution of all dictatorial insertions and distortions, through a national consensus.
The PPP was committed to PPP founding Chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's vision of a progressive society and is attached to Shaheed Benazir Bhutto's mission of democratic struggle. And it is now inspired by the reconciliatory wisdom of President Zardari to create a progressive, prosperous and pluralist Pakistan.
In year 2008, the government assumed power with four critical challenges: democratisation of the state; de-talibanization of the society; restoring the cohesion of the Federation and macroeconomic stabilisation. The management of diversity requires a process of political negotiations and it has to go hand in hand with strengthening and deepening of the democratic process in the country.
When the PPP government came to power in March 2008, the country was faced with severe problems as the economy showed a gloomy picture with widening current account deficit, high inflation, slowing exports growth, tight monetary policy and a looming energy crisis in the backdrop of high oil prices.
The economic depression which started in 2008 and culminated in 2009, shook the global economies and an unprecedented recession affected all the countries in the world. The state of the economy called for taking difficult decisions and courageous actions.
President Zardari acted in order to lay a new foundation for economic stabilisation and growth. It was forced to seek loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) against tough conditionalities to avoid a default. However, the prudent policies, adopted by the government, minimised the effects of economic meltdown. The effects of economic recession were countered through negotiating a programme with the IMF, which has stabilised the economy, which have provided fiscal space to the government for long-term planning. It has also undertaken reform measures in the economic structure to make growth both sustainable and equitable. Raising the tax-to-GDP ratio is a key pillar of the economic strategy. To achieve macroeconomic stabilisation, the government has also taken a number of measures.