The development objectives of any country will not be realized without a functional, transparent, participatory and accountable democracy. Pakistan is no exception, said U.S. Ambassador, Ryan C. Crocker.
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| U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker addressing members of various political parties from Punjab Province. |
Speaking on the role of political parties in a democracy at a training workshop for activists of political parties, arranged by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) and Centre for Civic Education Pakistan (CCE) under the USAID-funded Political Party Development Program. Ambassador Crocker said political parties are the building blocks of democratic institutions and encouraged the parties and their members “to reflect the diversity of the cultures from which they arise.”
“All democratic political parties, whether they are small movements or large national coalitions, as a practicality need to share the values of compromise and tolerance," Ambassador Crocker remarked. “Winner takes all” and “Fight to the death” approaches rarely benefit the people who put political leaders into office, he added.
The theme of the workshop was “Effective Party Management” and members of Pakistan Muslim League, Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N), and Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam (F) participated. Simon Butt, Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, and Ms. Inci Ersoy, Deputy Chief of Mission , Embassy of Turkey , also spoke on the occasion.
The U.S. Ambassador was of the view that in a democracy, the struggle between political parties is not a fight for survival, but a competition to serve the people. He said in the United States , “parties recognize that political views are fluid and changeable, and that consensus can often arise out of the clash of ideas and values in peaceful, free, and public debate. Political parties play an essential democratizing function by acting as a link between the state and society by trying to stitch together diverse interests into coherent platforms. They also recruit and train leaders for public office. "This role does not change and cannot be filled by other organizations,” he added.
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| A participant poses a question of the U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan about U.S. policy in Pakistan. |
In discussing the most important lessons from the American political party experience, the US Ambassador said “whether or not a party holds the presidency, a state governorship, or a majority of seats in national or state legislatures, each owes loyalty and respect to the institutions of the country. Second, while political parties may hold particular beliefs, these beliefs are periodically revisited and updated to ensure that they reflect the views and values of that portion of the electorate the party wants to appeal to. These beliefs become campaign issues – and issues, not personalities, should drive the campaign. Third, parties need to find a way to get things accomplished.”
“The People” lose when things become so mired in politics that win-win solutions or compromises are not sough, the Ambassador stressed. He said that “Political parties need to be viewed as organic structures, growing, taking in new information, improving their operations. For this to happen, a process is needed to periodically and constructively assess where the party is today and where it is going. New potential leadership needs to be constantly identified and groomed. New members need to be brought in."
Ambassador Crocker said “This is a subject of personal interest to me and of great importance to Pakistan’s future as a democracy and I would like to recognize USAID for funding this program and NDI and CCE for organizing the training of tomorrow’s leaders of political parties throughout Pakistan." The NDI program is one element of a larger and longer-term USAID program to strengthen democratic institutions in Pakistan , including parliament, provincial assemblies, the election commission, local government, and political parties – all of which are key institutions in Pakistan ’s democratic development. |
