fatman17
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Fall from grace
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The latest global attitudes survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Institute shows a dramatic decline in the standing of the president. Compared to 64 per cent last year, only 32 per cent of people hold a favourable view of Mr Zardari. The format of a survey does not leave much scope for explanations or detailed opinions. But it is not hard to understand why there has been so dramatic a change in presidential popularity. It is obvious that most citizens now see him as a key reason for the problems we face as a nation. There have been so many detailed accounts of corruption and wrongdoing that it is hard to believe they can all be inaccurate or the figment of imagination, as the aides of the president would have us believe. The continuing affair of the Swiss cases, the failure to implement the NRO, the manner in which cronies have been favoured and the lack of effective governance are certainly factors in Mr Zardari's dramatic fall from grace.
There are other issues too. The perception is that the president has done little to help the state he heads. Indeed, his talk of conspiracy and the paranoia that underscores a great deal of what he says in public have added to the air of uncertainty we face. This in turn has discouraged investment and held up the economic recovery we so badly need. It is true that nepotism is not a new feature as far as the affairs of Pakistan go. But the height to which it has been taken in Islamabad exceeds anything seen in the past. We have a culture in place of cronyism that is contributing to the weakness of institutions and damaging the image of the country. While this continues, we have wildly hypocritical talk of dedication to the people or efforts to improve their plight. The results of the survey have presumably reached some eyes within the presidency. Past practice has been to bring only good news to the attention of leaders. But even so there must be others close to the president who are familiar with the results coming in through this and other surveys. They must also know that people ask why the president will not give up his post for the sake of the nation he claims to serve. Fewer and fewer people appear to believe he is doing any good and in this there must be a message which cannot indefinitely be ignored.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The latest global attitudes survey by the Washington-based Pew Research Institute shows a dramatic decline in the standing of the president. Compared to 64 per cent last year, only 32 per cent of people hold a favourable view of Mr Zardari. The format of a survey does not leave much scope for explanations or detailed opinions. But it is not hard to understand why there has been so dramatic a change in presidential popularity. It is obvious that most citizens now see him as a key reason for the problems we face as a nation. There have been so many detailed accounts of corruption and wrongdoing that it is hard to believe they can all be inaccurate or the figment of imagination, as the aides of the president would have us believe. The continuing affair of the Swiss cases, the failure to implement the NRO, the manner in which cronies have been favoured and the lack of effective governance are certainly factors in Mr Zardari's dramatic fall from grace.
There are other issues too. The perception is that the president has done little to help the state he heads. Indeed, his talk of conspiracy and the paranoia that underscores a great deal of what he says in public have added to the air of uncertainty we face. This in turn has discouraged investment and held up the economic recovery we so badly need. It is true that nepotism is not a new feature as far as the affairs of Pakistan go. But the height to which it has been taken in Islamabad exceeds anything seen in the past. We have a culture in place of cronyism that is contributing to the weakness of institutions and damaging the image of the country. While this continues, we have wildly hypocritical talk of dedication to the people or efforts to improve their plight. The results of the survey have presumably reached some eyes within the presidency. Past practice has been to bring only good news to the attention of leaders. But even so there must be others close to the president who are familiar with the results coming in through this and other surveys. They must also know that people ask why the president will not give up his post for the sake of the nation he claims to serve. Fewer and fewer people appear to believe he is doing any good and in this there must be a message which cannot indefinitely be ignored.
