Why is it that in Pakistan (and Bangladesh and to a slightly lesser extend, India), more so than in other parliamentary democracies, political parties are heavily tied into their leaders?
In Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, etc, political parties regularly change their leaders after every couple of years. Particularly after failing to win an election, the leader of a party is always under heavy pressure to resign, to make room for newer, fresher, better talent from in the party.
In Pakistan, on the other hand, political parties are content to have leaders for life. In fact, the party heavily ties its future into its one leader. The PPP’s declaration of Benazir as leader for life is one example, despite Benazir’s complete and utter failure to ever complete so much as a single full term of office.
In the current case of the PML-N, rather than promote new leadership from within their ranks (which would enable to party to circumvent the obstructions that Zardari is trying to throw at them), the party focuses on trying to preserve its old leadership.
In the past too, the PML happily voted in Nawaz Sharif’s law to prevent party members from voting against the wishes of the party lead. That was a case of the party cheerfully giving up its ability to prevent domination by its leader.
Imran Khan remains the leader of PTI despite a long track record of failure to turn his popularity into votes. The JUI-F can claim some degree of success under Maulana Diesel at least (it’s participation in several ruling coalitions), but the JI on the other hand stuck for years with Qazi despite constantly existing on the sidelines.
The PML-Q ditched Shaukat Aziz (or was ditched by him) after the end of Musharraf’s government, but seems to now be embracing entrenched leadership by personality once more.
What is it about Pakistani politics that leads to embracing individuals, rather than political parties. Is it something to do with our culture as a whole?
At this rate, we may as well go back to being a monarchy. That is leadership by personality rather than leadership by party.