Bhutto assassination - Never take democracy for granted

THOUGH Europeans are lucky enough to be able to take democracy and all the great benefits that process confers almost for granted, every now and then some terrible event reminds us that it is a privilege to live in a society that regularly and peacefully elects and dismisses its leaders and, by and large, controls its affairs without resorting to violence.

Yesterday’s tragic assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the leader of Pakistan’s opposition, is one such event.

Bhutto’s murder is a reminder that for all of the challenges facing Europe, that we live in peaceful, stable political times. That we have, for the moment at least, learnt the terrible lessons of our past — especially those of the last century when — twice — catastrophe beckoned. This morning catastrophe is a real possibility for Pakistan and that unfortunate country’s neighbours.

The assassination has the potential to enflame a region riven by political and religious divisions. Religious extremism and terrorism will also have a significant influence on Pakistan’s immediate future.

It is unlikely that elections scheduled for January 8 can proceed, a consequence of the assassination that will add to the instability undermining that forlorn country.

East and west Pakistan were created in 1947 and as early as 1958 General Ayub Khan launched the first of a series of coups. Martial law was declared, political parties abolished and a pattern of military control was established that has characterised almost half of Pakistan’s existence since independence.

The first election was not held until 1970 but because of west Pakistan’s refusal to accept the result, civil war broke out in March, 1971. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, Benazir’s father, became prime minister in 1973. Four years later, riots erupted over vote rigging by Ali Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party. General Zia ul-Haq staged a coup, becoming president and imposing martial law.

In 1979 Ali Bhutto was hung on charges of murder. Benazir Bhutto returned from exile in 1986 to lead PPP in campaigning for fresh elections. In 1988 General Zia died along with officials in a mysterious air crash when his aircraft exploded after take-off.

In the same year Benazir Bhutto’s PPP won the general election but she was dismissed amid corruption allegations in 1996 and in 1999 the army, led by General Pervez Musharraf, ousted the civilian government.

General Musharraf remains in power and will be held, at the very least, partially responsible by Bhutto’s supporters for her assassination.

Last October Musharraf signed a corruption amnesty, opening the way for Ms Bhutto’s return to Pakistan. Within hours of returning to the country, bombers attacked a Bhutto rally in Karachi, killing more than 100 people — so yesterday’s bloody events cannot have been entirely unexpected.

There is very real potential for disaster here and let us hope that the forces of sanity, moderation, humanity and democracy are strong enough to fill the vacuum and avert events that could spark chaos in the region.

Myriad forces will try to exert influence in this situation but let us point to the belief made real by a peaceful Europe that violent confrontation solves nothing and that peace can only be secured through respect and co-operation. Democracy is the political manifestation of those beliefs and we should never take it for granted.