Poisoned chalice

By Salama A Salama

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The most captivating image this week was Pervez Musharraf abdicating his position as army commander. Musharraf, who has tried to hold on to his military post until the last minute, had no other option. The scene epitomised the love of power and the fear of losing it in a most dramatic way. Stripped of his military command, armed only with law and the constitution, the Pakistani president had to bow to the will of the majority. And he couldn't fight back the tears. For the last 46 years, the army was his home, mainstay and shield against opponents.

Overwhelming international pressure and widespread protests forced Musharraf's hand. A few days before stepping down as army leader, he declared a state of emergency, put the constitution on hold, sent the higher constitutional court home, and arrested thousands. None of that worked. At the end, the president had to take the bitter pill. Unable to remain president and army commander at the same time, he made up his mind.

It was all so typical of the dilemma of military men who become rulers in Third World countries. These are men who are used to the structure of command. Growing up in the army, they are not used to engaging with others in dialogue. They are soldiers who carry out orders without discussion and expect their subordinates, and everyone else, to do the same.

People who come from the army run government affairs as if they're still in the army. They may accept the formalities of civilian government, but their instincts drive them in the opposite direction. They don't know how to deal with civil society organisations, political groups, and judiciary authorities.

Show me one military regime that hasn't clashed with political parties and refused to engage in dialogue. Show me one military regime that hasn't placed barriers to democracy. Look at Pakistan. Unlike India, where democracy is not in contest, Pakistan lived under military rule for most of its past. The only taste of democracy the Pakistanis ever knew was under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, his daughter Benazir, and Nawaz Sharif.

Although Musharraf swore in as a civilian president, many fear that once the going gets tough, he may once again call on the army for help. Should this happen, major powers would be tempted to intervene, for Pakistan with its nuclear capabilities and links to Al-Qaeda is crucial to Western interests.

Military rulers always have trouble fitting into civilian life. Only a few countries succeeded in making the transition from military rule to civilian rule without sliding back. Democratisation is often held back for decades. I can only think of one country that has broken free from the generals' rule and is now fully democratic: Turkey.

In the Arab world, we don't have one success story. Mauritania comes to mind, but the jury is still out on that one. Most Arab countries move haltingly forward, and then turn back. Take Lebanon for example. Here is a country that used to be synonymous with pluralism and freedom. Still, its political system didn't survive foreign and regional pressures, or domestic and sectarian rivalries. To avoid civil war, the Lebanese turned to uncontroversial army commanders and made them presidents. This happened several times before and may happen again. My fear is that the Lebanese may get tired of politics and turn to the army for relief. Should this happen, Lebanon would join the long line of Arab countries that have given up on democracy and decided to take the poisoned chalice; namely, military rule.