Description
South Asia has a wide range of experience with democracy. While India’s democracy has proved resilient and exemplary, the foundations for democratic governance in other countries in the region are still fragile. The 1999 coup in Pakistan derailed the country’s experiment with democracy since 1988. With the success of the April 2006 movement, Nepal recently started another attempt at transition to democracy- a process disrupted by the May 2002 dismissal of the national parliament by King Gyanendra. The varying level of success of different South Asian countries with democratic governance offers rich contexts to learn about the dynamics of democratic transition and consolidation. Dwelling on the experiences of India, Nepal and Pakistan, this paper focused on the role of elite cooperation or conflict in the process of democratic transition and/or consolidation. The main thesis underlying this paper is that the role of national elites (defined broadly as leaders and activists) is central to understanding democratization process in a developing country like Nepal. The paper argues that the absence of factors that are considered preconditions for the success of democracy such as higher level of income, liberal values and tolerant culture is somehow compensated by the vanguard role of elites if they learn to cooperate with each other to build and sustain democratic order.
Reflections on the state of democratic transition process in South Asia
South Asia has a wide range of experience with democracy. While India’s democracy has proved resilient and exemplary, the foundations for democratic governance in other countries in the region are still fragile. The 1999 coup in Pakistan derailed the country’s experiment with democracy since 1988. With the success of the April 2006 movement, Nepal recently started another attempt at transition to democracy- a process disrupted by the May 2002 dismissal of the national parliament by King Gyanendra. The varying level of success of different South Asian countries with democratic governance offers rich contexts to learn about the dynamics of democratic transition and consolidation. Dwelling on the experiences of India, Nepal and Pakistan, this paper focused on the role of elite cooperation or conflict in the process of democratic transition and/or consolidation. The main thesis underlying this paper is that the role of national elites (defined broadly as leaders and activists) is central to understanding democratization process in a developing country like Nepal. The paper argues that the absence of factors that are considered preconditions for the success of democracy such as higher level of income, liberal values and tolerant culture is somehow compensated by the vanguard role of elites if they learn to cooperate with each other to build and sustain democratic order.