Pakistan PeopleÂ’s Party (PPP) Chairwoman Benazir Bhutto has said that she would like parliament to assume control of the armed forces.
| Kinda like they do in civilized countries, huh? |
She also described, in answer to a question, Lt Gen Ashfaq Pervez Kiani as “a professional officer, which is what the armed forces and Pakistan need”.
| As opposed to the amateurs, poseurs, and strutting fanged peacocks they've been blessed with? |
In an interview with the Inter Press Service (IPS), Bhutto said, “Under the present military-doctored Constitution, the armed forces [are under the president’s command]. The political parties would need to unite to bring control of the armed forces back to parliament for reform to take place. PPP has signed a Charter of Democracy calling upon political parties to make the members of the armed forces answerable to parliament, as they are in Washington, London and Paris, for greater transparency and accountability.”
| Actually, I think in most civilized countries the military is under the nominal command of the head of state, with parliaments playing a supporting role through their power of the purse. I don't think the problem's so much the military needing a few hundred commanders in chief as it is the military controlling the head of state or the effective commander in chief. |
Eliminating presidentÂ’s power: She said her ideal amendment to the Constitution, if she returns to power, would be to prevent a return to the dysfunctional democracy of the 1990s. She said it is important to do away with the powers of the president to dismiss an elected parliament in his discretion.
| I think most parliamentary system states give the head of state that power at least theoretically, though it's pretty tightly constrained by law and custom. Pakistain has never worked out any balance of power between the parliament and the presidency, much less between the civil society and the military. It's very much a country of unrestrained extremes. |
There are other issues that need attention, such as lifting the military-imposed ban on a twice elected prime minister contesting elections for a third time, and appointment of governors, members of the judiciary and the Election Commission.
| I don't think most of us are any more impressed by the idea of prime ministers for life than we are impressed by presidents for life. Certainly Bangla, which shares many characteristics with Pak, hasn't had a lot of success with PMs serving unrestricted multiple terms. |
Asked when she expects these changes to be made, Bhutto replied, “These issues are part of our negotiations and will happen in a phased manner. Some steps have already been taken, like the arrangements to shed uniform, the counting of ballots, stopping horse-trading by preventing arrest of parliamentarians without permission of an Ethics Committee, end to political victimisation and national reconciliation. I hope other issues like the eligibility of prime ministerial candidates and balance of power between the parliament and presidency will also be resolved in due course.” |