The incidents of military's direct assumption of political power by removing civilian government or coup d'etat have declined in the first 12 years of the twenty first century.  This does not necessarily mean that the military has lost the capacity to influence civilian processes and state policies.

Despite staying on the side-lines the military exercises considerable influence on policy making and its management with reference to its perceived professional and corporate interests in the countries that have once experienced direct military rule. It is important to examine the variety of interests pursued by the military after returning to the barracks and what are the well- known ways and means that the military employs to sustain its political clout and shape domestic policies and foreign policy priorities to the extent the top brass think that to be imperative for preserving and protecting their interests.

What helps the top brass of the military to exercise power and influence from the side-lines is often the failure of civilian leaders to create a credible civilian alternative to military rule. Most post-military rule states have a hybrid civilian-military system that enables the military to continue pursuing its agendas from the background.

The military also cashes on the pressures on civilian government by troubled internal security situation and unsettled external security environment. A civilian government facing internal turmoil and external threats as well as finding it difficult to hold together cannot assert its primacy over the military.  Rather, it seeks to cultivate the military to sustain itself. The role of the opposition is also important in strengthening the role and position of civilian institutions and processes.  If the opposition cultivates the military to strengthen its position in domestic politics or it takes political advantage of the strains in the relations between the top brass of the military and the civilian government, the real beneficiary is going to be the military.

This presentation examines the dimensions of civil-military interaction in states where the military has withdrawn from direct rule and employs different means to sustain its domineering role and pursue its interests while holding back on direct intervention. The pattern of interaction between the military and civilian institutions and processes has implications for political stability and the future of democracy.