Re: Problems of people will be resolved: Bilawal
Before Bilawal begins by trying to solve the problems of 175 million Pakistani’s, he needs to sort out the problems in his own party, which seems to be in a state of civil war.
Bilawal to the rescue
Friday, March 21, 2008
The country’s largest party has apparently sought the help of a teenager to sort out its increasingly convoluted internal problems. Whereas his father, Asif Ali Zardari, maintains the presence of Bilawal Bhutto, the chairperson of the PPP, in Pakistan is intended only to grant him ‘limited exposure’ to key developments on ‘selected occasions’, a party spokesman has said Bilawal is expected to announce the name of his party’s prime ministerial candidate once the date for the National Assembly session for the election to the top slot is announced. The suspicion of course is that Bilawal’s involvement has become necessary because of the now openly hostile standoff between party president Amin Makhdoom Fahim and co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari. The plan from the Zardari camp seems to be based around the rather optimistic premise that Fahim may not be willing to confront young Bilawal, both because of his age and because of the emotional standing he carries as the son of the slain Benazir Bhutto.
All this seems to be a rather unfortunate manner to introduce a young man to the world of politics. Currently being groomed rather on the pattern more usually adopted in past centuries for the heir apparent in Mughal times, Bilawal Bhutto is being thrown right into the swirling depths of party politics. It is uncertain how much independence he will be able to exercise in the consultations he is expected to hold with key leaders or to what extent he is being exploited simply to do the ‘dirty work’ of picking out a prime minister from the rather murky mess into which his party has been plunged, as a result of the doings of those far more experienced than Bilawal.
But beyond the question of Bilawal himself, there is perhaps the larger issue of the PPP itself. The party, less than three months after the death of Benazir Bhutto, has been rocked by bitter infighting. Rather than the actual choice of the prime ministerial candidate, it is the clumsy manner in which the matter was handled that seems to have caused most damage and ruffled the feathers of the usually cool Makhdoom from Hala, the man at the centre of the latest storm. The unsavoury chain of events seen lately does not augur particularly well for the party. It seems obvious the PPP must not and cannot be run through dictatorship or perceived authority based on kinship alone. The party has too long a history in politics to stand for this and a great many leaders who deserve to be included in its decision-making both on the basis of their political acumen, their standing with people and their loyalty to the party.
The present situation is also sad from another perspective. If Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is indeed to ‘inherit’ the PPP as a continuation of the strange dynastic politics that have taken root in the region — in time replacing his father who is acting as a kind of regent — he needs to remain as untarnished and uncontroversial as possible. This of course cannot happen if he is called to take sides in bitter rows well before his time comes to lead. As such, his entry into the confrontational politics being played out within the PPP at this stage is unfortunate and his role now may complicate matters for him and the party founded by his maternal grandfather in the years ahead, when he takes his place at its helm.