When Conflict Becomes an Electoral Asset By Muhammad Mohsin Iqbal Democracy is meant to be a contest of performance. Governments seek re-election by presenting their achievements, while opposition parties challenge their record and offer alternative policies. Voters are expected to judge them on matters that shape everyday life; employment, inflation, education, healthcare and the quality of public institutions. Yet this democratic ideal is often overshadowed by a more expedient political calculation. When domestic performance becomes difficult to defend, political leaders increasingly turn to external threats to shift public attention from…
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