Poll experts in Dhaka described on Wednesday the recent parliamentary election in Pakistan as a watershed in democracy the world over, as it had seen end of a nine-year one-man rule and emergence of a strong democratic governance. Although, Benazir Bhutto had to sacrifice her life for the cause of democracy, she is certainly the trend-setter in ingraining seeds of democracy in Pakistan, the experts said.
These views were expressed in a round-table discussion on 'peaceful, violence-free election' held at National Press Club on Wednesday. The roundtable was organised by two leading civil society groups, South Asia Partnership-Bangladesh and National Forum for Peace and Security. The event was supported by a British organisation called Saferworld.
Addressing the session, a leading South Asian expert and Editor of state-run BSS news agency, Zaglul A Chowdhury said that 2008 could be called a very crucial year for growth and sustenance of democracy in South Asia. He said, while Pakistan saw the end of an autocratic rule, giving way to democracy spearheaded by Asif Ali Zardari, Bhutan too now tastes a semblance of democracy after the recent elections.
'The monarch in Bhutan has loosed his grip on the state-craft, allowing Bhutanese to taste the fruits of democratic governance.' Now Bangladesh is set to see restoration of democracy through the December 29 parliamentary election after two-year rule by army-backed caretaker government, he said. Speakers of the roundtable told that there have been bitterness and mud-slinging during all poll campaigns across the world.
'We have seen how Benazir was assassinated by bitter foes of democracy,' they pointed out. However, Pakistanis paid unique tribute to late Benazir by holding aloft democracy, she stood for they said. Further, they acclaimed Nawaz Sharif's attitude towards Zardari in Pakistan's nascent journey towards democracy.