China had Honk Kong and the Western naivety that a growing middle class in China would make it democratic. Singapore is a city state and Vietnam is still finding its way.
There are prosperous democratic countriesb like South Korea, Japan and Germany as well. It would not be fair to say that system of government will make all the difference.
The single biggest factor between successful and failed democracies - the literacy rate.
Educated people can think beyond the end of their nose, they can learn skills, they can innovate, they can earn.
Uneducated people are sheep sat around waiting for grass and a bucket of water. Approximately 40% of our country can't even read or write. The other 60% who are literate - look at the value of that literacy. My kids could read and write at age 5 - it didn't make them intelligent functioning adults with only that ability. How much research or innovation comes out of our country? How many countries recognise the standards of our professional bodies? Very few. 45% of South Koreans hold a degree, 6% of Pakistani's do.
In a society which is either illiterate or under-educated, people can easily be manipulated, they cannot be relied upon to improve themselves, they don't see beyond tribe, clan, class etc. Democracy is a disaster in Pakistan. We need to function like a business. We need qualified people to run the different parts of our country - we need targets and goals set, we need people to be held accountable by their intellectual peers or seniors. If my IT minister cannot use email - how TF is he going to forward the agenda of IT in my country? If we have a Transport Minister who's only ever known being chauffered in Daddys Landcruiser - what is he going to know of public transport? The Civil service babus can tell him what they like and he will nod his head.
I don't care if this body of people are elected or selected - as long as their measured by their performance and replaced accordingly.
I live in the UK, we have democracy, it's a shitshow. We'd swap it for a competent govt right now.