South Asia in Transition: Elections, Political Parties, and Civil Societies

Details

Presidential elections in Afghanistan, General elections in India, one year of a new government in Pakistan: Experts and political decision makers from Germany and from within the region discuss and analyse new and old promising actors which have the potential to stimulate change in states and societies in South Asia.

South Asia is in the mood and mode of elections. In May 2013 Pakistan witnessed its first transfer of power between two civilian governments via the polls and according to the Consti-tution. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) of then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had to leave office, while the Pakistan Muslim League N (PML-N) regained power; Nawaz Sharif became Prime Minister. The world’s biggest democracy is preparing for general elections, which will take place within the next couple of months: In India, regional and newly formed political parties might become game changers in a political system that for decades was dominated by two parties, namely the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party. And at the same time, Afghanistan faces the end of Hamid Karzai’s presidency after 13 years in office. When the Afghans will vote for a new President, Karzai will not run for another term due to constitutional restrictions. With the ISAF-withdrawal ahead, the Presidential elections to be held on April 7 will be a crucial milestone for Afghanistan.

This conference will bring together experts from India, Afghanistan and Pakistan to disucss implications and conditions under which the elections take place: To which extent did Pakistan succeed in its democratic transition? How did new political forces as well as the existing ones perform in the newly elected Parliament? Why was India much more successful than other South Asian states in the establishment of a multi-party system? How will the rise of new po-litical parties like the Aam Aadmi Party change the Indian political party system from a long-term perspective? With regard to Afghanistan, the role of elections as democratic mechanisms of stability and political integration will be the focus of dialogue. Are elections the cure of all and what are their limitations? Doubtless, the holding of free and fair elections and especially the acceptance of electoral results will be one of the most significant prerequisites for future peace, national reconciliation and integration in Afghanistan.

Programme

9.30-10 a.m.

Registration

10 a.m.

Welcome Remarks by

Dr. Wolfgang Maier

Deputy Head of Department European and International Cooperation, KAS

Introduction by

Prof. Subrata Kumar Mitra, Ph.D.

South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

10.30 p.m.

Panel I: India and the resilience of its democracy

• Benedict Pöttering

  Vice President Youth of the European People's Party (YEPP) and Deputy Chairman Junge Union

• Prof. Salma Bava

  Director, Europe Area Studies Programme/Professor of European Studies

  School of International Studies

  Jawaharlal Nehru University, Neu Delhi

• Prof. Niraja Gopal Jayal

  Centre for the Study of Law and Governance

  Jawaharlal Nehru University, Neu Delhi

• Ravindra Kumar

  Editor and Managing Director

  The Statesman, Kolkata

Dr. Jivanta Schöttli

South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

12 p.m.

Lunch Buffet

1 p.m.

Panel II: Democracy and political transition in Pakistan

• Andreas von Brandt

  Task Force Afghanistan-Pakistan

  German Federal Office

• Eva Gil

  Democracy Reporting International

• Prof. Shaun Gregory

  Professor of International Security

  School of Government and International Affairs

  Durham University

• Cyril Almeida

  Assistant Editor

  The Dawn, Islamabad

• Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal

  Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad

Dr. Siegfried O. Wolf

South Asia Institute

2.30 p.m.

Coffee Break

2.50 p.m.

Panel III: Presidential elections in Afghanistan

• Prof. Baryalai Hakimi

  Head, Law and Political Sciences Department

  National Center for Policy Research, Kabul University

• Philipp Münch

  German Institute for International and Security Affairs

• Barry Salaam

  Journalist, Kabul

• Thomas Ruttig

  Co-Director/Co-Founder

  Afghanistan Analysts Network

Marc Frings

Team Asia and the Pacific, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

4.20 p.m.

Concluding Remarks

Dr. Martin Gieselmann

Director, South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University

Dr. Beatrice Gorawantschy

Director

Team Asia and the Pacific, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung

Please registrate for the event and use the online-registration