There was a time when the coup d’etat was an apparently acceptable form of change of government, particularly in Asia, Africa, and Central America. According to one source, 33 countries experienced 85 such transitions, 42 of them in western Africa between 1952 and 2000. Once in full control, it was easy for the new regime to get recognition from the international community. One superpower (no names mentioned) was very liberal in extending such recognitions.
It was common for military dictators to blame the civilian politicians when they came to power. They promised to restore democracy as soon as possible but in the process they ruled, by hook or by crook, as long as they could. Most of them were indulged in corruption and nepotism, and are now looked down upon in history.
At the beginning of the 21st century, military rule practically disappeared even though dictatorship in other forms prevailed in some countries. A preference towards changing governments through democratic means was evident in many countries which once experienced traumatic military dictatorships.
We, however, noticed some ominous signs recently. Mohamed Morsi was the first civilian to be democratically elected president of Egypt since the revolution of 1952. He was in power for only one year. Following the protests in June 2013, he was ousted by Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi who later resigned from the army and was elected president. He took office on June 8, 2014.
Like Egypt, Thailand has had a turbulent history since 1932 with frequent takeovers of the civilian administration by the military. The latest coup d’etat took place on May 20, 2014. On August 21, the national assembly elected the army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha as prime minister. Among other countries, Fiji has been under military rule since 2006.
Pakistan was under military rule for nearly 30 out of 67 years of its existence. Former East Pakistan emerged as independent Bangladesh through a bloody war in 1971, when Pakistan’s military dictator General Yahya Khan carried out genocide in its eastern part.
Plagued with terrorism and ethnic violence, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan, who helped to depose former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf, is under threat by two opposition political parties to leave office. Protesters have camped outside the parliament claiming that the election which swept him to power last year was rigged.
A nervous Nawaz Sharif met the army chief twice recently. The army chief now occupies the centre stage as the arbitrator between the government and the opposition. It is speculated that a “soft coup” has perhaps already taken place. The world is eagerly waiting to see the fate of civilian rule in Pakistan.
Bangladesh, which always fought against military dictatorship, has also had its share of military rule under Khandaker Moshtaque Ahmed, Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem, Ziaur Rahman, and HM Ershad. Their regimes were declared illegal by the highest court in the country. The usurpers are now liable to be tried for treason as per existing laws.
The recent comeback of military dictatorship may send the wrong signal to many countries, particularly to those with bitter experiences of such rule. The support of any superpower to a new military regime encourages other aspirants to stage similar coups, and this may be a matter of concern to the civilian rulers in some coup-prone countries like Pakistan.
Coup d’etat is a menace which should be nipped in the bud by all people who love and cherish democracy. Last but not the least, no military regime deserves any recognition or support from any democratic government, in particular from a superpower claiming to be the custodian of democracy in the modern world. Without their support, no military regime can survive for too long.
Source: bdnews24
