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The Latin American State: "Failed" or Evolving?

Can Democratic Elections Solve a Civil War?

Forum Europe-Latin America

An open Forum for all the Latin American and European experts who wish to contribute to a dialogue on  international issues relevant for both regions.

Captive Institutions

Flacso Chile

What do Chileans think of the Armed Forces since the death of Augusto Pinochet? This is one of the questions which is tackled by “Captive Institutions"

 

 

Transnational Terrorism, Security and the Rule of Law

The Transnational Terrorism, Security and the Rule of Law (TTSRL) project is aimed at framing the current nature of the threat of terrorism as it exists within the EU, and at generating insight into the various response options to terrorism that are available to European governments.

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Middle East & North Africa / Comment

Pakistan: farewell to Musharaff and a warning to the radicals

20/02/2008 By Mariano Aguirre Ernst

A Pakistani honour guard lowers the national flag during a ceremony at the Wagah border post with India.
Liu Jin / AFP / Getty Images
The elections scheduled for February 18 in Pakistan should bring, albeit with difficulty, some stability to the country, but they have also made clear the people’s will on two key issues.

Firstly, they put an end to the political career of General Pervez Musharraf, and to a certain extent, the military authorities that continue to control the country. And secondly, they show the radical Islamists that, despite the corruption, poor leadership and bureaucracy of the political parties, the population prefers the risks of secularism to living according to the orthodox letter of religious law.

Political instability has bedevilled Pakistan over the course of its six decades, with a series of military coups, assassinations and corruption, not to mention conflicts between the civil and military sectors, secularism and Islamism, and between central power and the ethnic groups that dominate the various provinces.

The connection between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the dispute with India over Kashmir, ethnic divisions and the growth of radical Islam have all served to place the country in the centre of the current global crisis.

In this FRIDE Comment, Mariano Aguirre explores the context of the elections and the challenges that lie ahead for Pakistan on its journey towards stability and democracy.


Download the full version of this publication, available in Spanish (37 kB)

Publishing groups

Afghanistan and Pakistan: a region in crisis

Keywords

Elections Islam Pakistan Political Reform South Asia

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Bio author: Mariano Aguirre Ernst

Mariano Aguirre has been Director of the Centro de Investigación para la Paz, in Madrid, and Coordinator of programmes on peace and conflicts at the Ford Foundation, in New York. Mariano Aguirre publishes articles in various media in Spain and internationally such as OpenDemocracy, Le monde diplomatique, El Correo, La Vanguardia, Maniere de voir, AlertNet, Enjeux Internationaux, Temas, El País, Política Exterior, Debate, BBC World Service, Radio Netherland, Radio Nacional de España, Radio France International, Mediterranean Politics and CNN Spain.