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LAHORE: Speakers at a webinar foresee a bleak future for democracy in Pakistan, where Imran Khan, as the main opposition leader, positions himself as a god-like figure while challenging the military establishment, and the ruling alliance of the PDM plays as the puppets of the establishment.

The webinar on What is happening in Pakistan was organised by the Asia-Europe Peoples Forum and moderated by Zaigham Abbas on Friday.

Anchorperson Munizae Jahangir expressed her concerns about plans to establish military courts to try civilians involved in attacks on military installations on May 9. She fears that this could further restrict civil and political space in the country.

She stated that the state should prioritise justice (delivery) over a revenge mindset.

She advised all political parties to come together and find a solution to the current crisis instead of exacerbating the situation.

She defended the poor performance of politicians when in power, arguing that they were mostly preoccupied with the militarys agenda for their own survival, rather than focusing on the issues faced by the country and its citizens.

Ms Jahangir mentioned that she had never witnessed democracy being given a genuine opportunity to govern the country throughout her life.

Political analyst Bilal Zahoor remarked that Imran Khan lacks a coherent ideology or an alternative plan to bring about a revolution against the status quo. Instead, he simply shifts his targeted enemies, from the US to the Sharifs and Zardaris, and now to the army, without addressing the fundamental flaws in the current system.

He added that Imran Khan presents himself as a god by using a binary language of what should or should not be done.

He expressed regret that the political parties that ruled the country between 2008 and 2018 failed to address the peoples issues, thereby creating an environment where Imran Khan could be portrayed as a messiah.

Political activist Farooq Tariq partially held the IMF and judiciary accountable for the current poor economic, political, and social state of the country.

He stated that the ongoing clash between the PTI and PDM is, in fact, a dispute among the ruling class, while the working class continues to suffer.

Recalling his struggle during the COP23 in Sharam al-Sheikh, Egypt, where he sought reparations for the people affected by climate change in Pakistan, he lamented that the victims of the recent climate disaster in Sindh have not received any compensation. The funds received from international donors were allegedly embezzled by the powerful classes in the country.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2023

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'Democracy never given genuine opportunity to govern country' - DAWN.com

This is an earthquake: Voters this weekend decisively rejected the countrys years-long military rule.

Progressives and other members of Thailands pro-democracy opposition parties scored a stunning victory in the countrys elections this weekend, dealing a major blow to military-backed incumbents. Their overwhelming success, which came as a shock to political observers of the region, indicated that Thai voters are interested in a change from the current military-led regime and sent a significant message in favor of a more representative government.

The progressive Move Forward Party, led by Pita Limjaroenrat, is projected to win 151 seats in the House the highest of any group while the populist opposition party Pheu Thai, aligned with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will likely win 141 seats. Collectively, the two parties will now hold at least 292 of 500 seats in the House.

This is an earthquake, since Move Forward is the first party to directly challenge major Thai institutions like the monarchy and military the first to call for real institutional reform, Council on Foreign Relations fellow Josh Kurlantzick told Vox.

The military has long had a hold on Thai politics, a grip only strengthened by military coups in 2006 and 2014. That latter coup was led by current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who ushered in a new constitution that gave the military unprecedented power over government. One of those post-coup reforms threatens Move Forwards coalition: 376 members of parliament are needed to elect a new prime minister, and the 250-person Senate was appointed by the military.

Move Forward said Monday that several parties have agreed to join its governing coalition, giving it control of 309 of parliaments 500 seats. That leaves Pita Limjaroenrat 67 votes short of the majority needed to become prime minister. Its unclear whether the Senate will work to cobble together a military-aligned minority government, or split its support between the two factions.

The overwhelming landslide by the Move Forward party is an indication that the voters are ready for the country to be led by the people, not the military or the monarchy, says Tyrell Haberkorn, a professor who studies Southeast Asian politics at the University of Wisconsin Madison. The question now is if the military will actually listen to the people and step down, as they must, or if they will use their usual tricks to stay in power.

Voter support for progressives in this election highlights widespread interest in reforms that would dramatically change how Thailands government currently operates.

In 2014, the Thai military mounted a coup that unseated a democratically elected government in the country. Shortly after, the current kings father acknowledged the new, military-led government as legitimate. Since then, Prayuth Chan-ocha, formerly a general, has led the government. And in 2019, he was able to win an election for prime minister amid allegations of irregularities and questions about vote counting delays.

Anger over those elections, the armys crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, and the state dissolving the predecessor of the Move Forward Party led to prolonged protests, including by students in 2020 who wanted the military out of government and to reduce the influence of the monarchy, which, along with the army, holds most of the power in Thailand.

The 2014 coup is one of a few that the country has experienced in recent history as the military and monarchy have collaborated to consolidate political power. In recent years, both factions have squared off against the Pheu Thai populist party, which supports social policies aimed at helping the poor. The rise of progressives this year signals a push from some voters for another alternative to the status quo in the form of the Move Forward Party, which has championed institutional reforms.

A key reform that the Move Forward Party has endorsed would alter the Thai lese majeste laws which severely penalize people for criticizing the monarchy, including with up to 15 years of jail time. Those laws led to numerous high-profile arrests during the protests. Other ideas the party backs include getting rid of the 2014 military-drafted constitution, and moving to one that gives the public a greater say in legislating. Collectively, the two reforms signal an interest in shifting toward a more traditional democracy. Such proposals have received immense support from younger voters, who turned out in high numbers in order to support progressive candidates.

For the first time, it will be possible to bring the monarchy under the law, says Haberkorn, of the potential influence of a progressive-led government. There has never been a proper transition to democracy, in which the outgoing military leaders are held to account for the coups they launched and the violence they perpetrated, in Thailand. This election means that it is time for the military to be held to account for the many acts of violence they have committed, including the 2010 crackdown on [pro-democracy demonstrators], the 2006 and 2014 coups.

Should a progressive-led government actually come to power, Haberkorn added that it could have a tremendous impact in Southeast Asia more broadly, providing backing for democracy and democratic ideals in neighboring countries.

Rather than collaborating with the dictatorship in Myanmar, a Move Forward party-led government is likely to condemn the military regime and support democracy in Myanmar, she told Vox.

Although progressive and populist parties have won a sizable number of seats in parliament, its not yet clear that theyll be able to elect their preferred prime minister, or if the military will seek to destabilize the government as it has in past coups.

The prospect for yet another stalemate in Thai politics pitting a popular electoral movement with the countrys conservative establishment still loom large, says Thomas Pepinsky, a Cornell political scientist who studies the region.

The massive win by progressives, though, suggests that Thai voters are hungry for something different.

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Thailand election results 2023: Voters back pro-democracy parties in major blow to military rule - Vox.com

Autocracy is a word that carries a lot of weight, and is not one were used to hearing in the United States when describing our political system or those in elected positions.

Autocracys defining feature is the concentration of power in the hands of a few, allowing them to exercise significant control over the political, economic, and social aspects of a country.

There is a newly formed group called Floridians for Democracy still in its infancy thats being created by southwest Floridians in response to what they say are growing autocratic trends here in Florida, and more broadly across the United States. We spoke with its co-founder and three of its founding members.

Guests:

Jim Nathan, co-founder of Floridians for Democracy which is an outgrowth of their initial steering committee called The 1939 Project. He founded it with his wife Karen. Jim served as CEO for Lee Health for 34 years, and since retiring has been an adjunct professor and Executive-in-Residence for the Marieb College Health and Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. You can contact Jim at VoicesforRJ@gmail.com for more information about the newly-formed group.

Dr. Robert Hilliard is a humanitarian, activist, educator, author, playwright and World War II veteran. He was former Chief of Public Broadcasting at the FCC and was present for the signing of the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967. He was also a professor and dean at Emerson College in Boston for more than three decades and remains professor emeritus. He is author of dozens of books and plays. Bob's life story was featured in the WGCU-TV documentary, A Force for Freedom: The Robert Hilliard Story. Click here to listen to Dr. Hilliard's episode of Three Song Stories.

Katelyn Tellgren is a senior at FGCU studying Sociology and Gender Studies, and she founded FGCU's chapter of Generation Action with Planned Parenthood.

WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong anddonate now. Thank you.

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'Floridians for Democracy' formed in response to what members say ... - WGCU

WASHINGTON, D.C. On Wednesday, May 17 191 days after Election Day election denier Kari Lake was back in the courtroom contesting her loss to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) in the 2022 election. Wednesday marked the start of a new three-day trial, which will focus on one remaining claim regarding signature matching, in Lakes quest to overturn the results of the election.

Prior to this new trial, Lake not only lost her election for Arizona governor by over 17,000 votes, but also consistently lost at three separate court levels. The trial court previously dismissed her election contest, the Arizona Court of Appeals affirmed the trial courts dismissal and finally the Arizona Supreme Court denied review of six of the seven claims in Lakes appeal. Following this ruling, the state Supreme Court sent one claim back to the trial court for further review, which is the subject of this new trial that began on Wednesday.

To prevail at trial, Lake must prove that signature verification did not occur in Maricopa County during the 2022 election. Specifically, she must show that Maricopa County did not conduct signature verification at stage 1, 2 or 3 and that this failure resulted in sufficient numbers to alter the outcome of the election based on a competent mathematical basis to conclude that the outcome would plausibly have been different[.] Arizona voters who cast an early mail-in ballot must sign an affidavit attesting to their identity; this signature is then compared to prior signatures in the voters record to confirm a match.

Day one was largely uneventful, with Lake and Maricopa Countys attorneys presenting their opening statements to the court. Then, Lakes attorney called witnesses or as Lake calls them, whistleblowers to the stand to testify. One of these whistleblowers,Jacqueline Onigkeit, worked as a signature matcher during the election and testified to her experience doing signature verification.

Onigkeit spent almost an hour explaining the training required to do signature verification as well as the intricacies of the process itself. Onigkeit explained: I was very focused on verifying signatures, doing the right job and making sure whether or not the signature matched. She also highlighted the level of scrutiny to which the signature verifiers were held. We were informed several timesthat we were being audited every day. And if we were approving too many signatures or rejecting too many signatures, wed be pulled into the office, get a warning, and if it happened a second time, wed be let go, she explained.

The court heard from other witnesses including two members of a fringe political action group partially funded by conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell called We the People AZ Alliance. Their testimonies were brief and they discussed a 24/7 livestream of the signature verification process, which Lake has to prove did not occur for her claims to be successful in court.

The trial is expected to start again at 12 p.m. EDT today.

Read a Twitter thread of live Tweets here.

Learn more about the case here.

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Takeaway From Day One of Kari Lake's Second Trial: Lake's Losing ... - Democracy Docket

Democracy is a verb! Abner Mikva, the late federal judge and Illinois congressman, declared this as he challenged youth across the nation to participate in the election process and use their voices to speak to elected officials.

In high school, before she was eligible to vote, my daughter participated in the Mikva Challenge by serving as a student election judge during the 2012 presidential election.

For my part, I was the key judge in the 44th Wards 9th Precinct for the April 4 Chicago mayoral runoff. It was the hardest day Ive worked in as long as I can remember. It was physically and mentally challenging, and by the end of the evening, I was practically in tears, from feeling exhausted and from witnessing democracy on the front lines.

Democracy is an action verb.

I submitted my application to be a judge in response to an email from the Board of Elections earlier this year. Five days before the runoff, I received an email from the board inviting me to serve. I received a link to a 15-hour online course to be completed by the Sunday before Election Day. The training was highly detailed and tedious, and I sailed through it thinking someone would just tell me what to do the day of.

[Letters: I was an election judge. It was a no-drama day.]

That someone would have been our key judge, but he informed the other judges that he had a last-minute emergency and couldnt work Election Day. The key judge receives a key to the election supply cabinet and signs off on all paperwork. When he asked in a group text if someone could pick up the key, I said yes, not realizing that this made me the key judge with all of its responsibilities (and some additional pay).

The night before the runoff, I slept in fits, afraid of missing my predawn alarm. I arrived at the polling place at 5 a.m. already tired. I met my fellow election judge, George, who had election experience, and Lawrence, who had never worked an election. The three of us had to set up the polling place before the polls opened at 6. That meant assembling the ballot box and voting booths, which was like building a room of Ikea furniture, sleep-deprived and on a tight deadline.

Sharing the school gymnasium polling site with us was another precinct made up of an experienced team of adults who set up their polling place by 5:30 a.m. At 6, when our precincts first eager voter arrived, wearing a Cubs hat and a broad grin, our ballet box was not even set up. George barked, Were not ready for you, sir!

Please give us a minute, I pleaded with my husband, who was voter No. 1 that morning and proud of his civic-minded spouse.

In the absence of the seasoned key judge, we quickly figured out our strengths: Lawrence and George were adept at putting together the equipment and managing the flow of traffic. I, with my keyboarding skills, navigated the electronic poll book and did troubleshooting, which, 99% of the time, meant summoning Colleen, the unflappable key judge from the other precinct to our table.

Colleens team seemed to work effortlessly. A man with low vision was placed at the ballot box to help people guide their ballots into the electronic slide, a brilliant move. Almost every voter in our precinct asked us, Does it matter which way it goes? summoning us to help them insert their ballot. It was hard for us not to see their vote, given there was only one question on the ballot that day. Another member of Colleens team had a mobility issue but a strong, welcoming voice and directed confused voters to the correct precinct table as if they were contestants on The Price is Right: Cmon down!

There were lulls and swarms of voters at predictable points during the day. By the end, the electronic tape showed we had almost 550 voters, or a voter every 90 seconds. The overwhelming majority of voters were patient, pleasant and even demonstrably grateful for the service of our team.

One of the highlights of my day was registering voters new to Chicago, including the ebullient group of recent college graduates who got jobs in the city and were sharing an apartment or new voters such as my neighbors son who just turned 18. I got choked up when I handed him his ballot and said, Now go vote for Da Mare!

At 7 p.m., we closed the polls, just as a group of three young men strolled in. The polls are closed, George announced, as he shot me a look knowing it pained me to turn anyone away. But he was right. The polls were closed, and we had to dismantle the machines, sign the envelopes and get the materials over to the supply station.

[Tom Wogan Sr.: What a last-minute voter taught me about our system in a time of election denial]

Once again, I had to summon Colleen. What do you need? she asked. Her precincts ballots were already signed, sealed and ready to be delivered. We were going to hold her up. Everything, I said, through tears I was trying to hold back.

Very patiently, Colleen showed us how to wrap things up. Colleen! I said. I want you to be my mayor!

I thought about her team of election judges, folks Ive probably passed on the street here in central Lakeview, not giving them a second thought. That day, they became my heroes.

Be a hero. Apply to be an election judge. Democracy needs you.

Judith Weinstein is a public health professional who has lived happily in Chicago for more than 25 years.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.

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Judith Weinstein: Working as an election judge allowed me to ... - Chicago Tribune