Frontier Democracy

In recent local elections, the Moslem League Party, founders of Pakistan and hitherto its absolute rulers, found itself overwhelmingly repudiated by the voters. It was faced with two alternatives: to seize power through the army, after the classical pattern of one-party dictatorship, or to rule by the traditional democratic process of political horse-trading and parliamentary maneuver.

It chose the way of politics--but politics with the true flavor of frontier democracy.

All Must Go. Pakistan's new strongman, Governor General Iskandar Mirza, who believes his country ready only for "controlled democracy" (TIME, Aug. 15), recognized that Premier Mohammed Ali, though he had served his country well by obtaining U.S. economic aid at a critical moment, had no following in the Assembly. He had to go. The only way for the Moslem League to stay in power was to make a deal with one of its opponents. Skillfully playing the opposite leaders against one another, the Leaguers made a deal with aging and fat Fazlul Huq. Result: Huq, last year dismissed as Chief Minister of East Pakistan for "treasonable activities," now became the Minister of the Interior. The man who emerged as Premier in the deal was Chaudhri Mohammed Ali, Pakistan's financial wizard.

Outgoing Premier Ali took his dismissal lightly. Gathering together his collection of sporting rifles in the palatial official residence, he joked: "Don't worry, I'm not going to start a revolution." As Ali explained it: "For 27 months I have been an overworked bird in a gilded cage, and I am glad to be out of it. Anyway, Chaudhri is a brainier fellow than I and may not find the premiership as tough going as I did." He hopes to resume his old job as ambassador to Washington.

Steel Nerves. Chaudhri, the new Premier, is a shy man who shelters from people behind office files. The son of a poor villager, he grew up in the famed Indian Civil Service, became financial adviser to the government of India on war supplies.

Slow to make decisions, Chaudhri is steel-nerved in executing them. His favorite verse from the Koran reads: "Once you have decided, have faith in God and go ahead without faltering." Says one critic: "When he does rarely show an emotion, it is like watching oil drip from a robot's loosened joint."

The 80-member Constituent Assembly, summoned to ratify the changes, met in an atmosphere of bewildered acquiescence. Looking across the elegant semicircular Assembly Hall, with its parliamentary paraphernalia of Speaker, Government and Opposition benches, one young black-bearded Moslem said: "We imitate Britain like monkeys, but where is the true democracy?" Another nervously pleaded: "Let us play the game like good cricketers. Stop the cheating and the musical chairs."

Premier Chaudhri Mohammed Ali listened unmoved.

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