Elections and democratic transition in Pakistan: one step forward and two steps backwards

ABSTRACT

Expectations in Pakistan rose, when for the first time, in its history a political government in 2013 completed its full term of office and was replaced not by the military but by another political government after being defeated at the ballot box. It raises questions about what kind of democratic space is developing and what type of hybrid regime is emergent. The paper reflects upon the concept of hybrid regime and draws out key variables: turnover, tutelage and neo-patrimonialism and then considers how to categorise development in Pakistan. It concludes that Pakistan is in a ‘gray zone’ and that during the period there was evidence of it moving towards becoming an illiberal hybrid regime but the military went on the offensive and the democratic space contracted returning to being an illiberal tutelary hybrid regime. Unless tutelage and neo-patrimonialism are not challenged Pakistan will not progress in the democratic transition and remain a hybrid regime.

KEYWORDS:

• Turnover
• tutelage
• neo-patrimonialism
• hybrid regimes
• democratisation
• Pakistan

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their insightful and pertinent comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.