Preparing for elections

In a democracy, elections hold significant importance and are seen as a tool to bring political stability to the country. Unfortunately all elections in Pakistan – except the 1970 general elections – have remained controversial.

Even in 1970, despite the fairness of the elections, the failure of General Yahya to hand over power to the winning party eventually led to Indian intervention and the dismemberment of Pakistan. So it can be safely inferred that all elections have added to political instability in the country.

Losing political parties usually challenge the results and accuse the relevant authorities of rigging the elections in favour of the winning party.

Pakistan will have elections on February 8 to elect a new government, and the political landscape is already resonating with allegations and apprehensions about possible rigging in favour of the PML-N, which is not a good omen with regard to the acceptability of the results.

The PPP and the PML-N which were allies in the outgoing PDM government have already started throwing brick-bats at each other with the former alleging that Nawaz Sharif’s return is a result of some deal and that it will not accept an imposed prime minister. Statements by PML-N leaders with unswerving confidence that Nawaz Sharif will be the next prime minister are also reinforcing the apprehensions regarding the alleged deal between Nawaz Sharif and the powerful quarters.

This is not sensible posturing by them regarding the outcome of the February elections. Nobody can say with certainty whether a deal has been struck, but people will question why these leaders are so confident about winning, given the fact that different surveys regarding parties’ popularity do not endorse their stance.

Punjab which was considered a bastion of power for the PML-N is no more the same as new realities have come up in the backdrop of the May 9 incident. The emergence of a new party, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), comprising several electables who were PTI stalwarts, is going to dent the PML-N’s vote bank unless they make an alliance with it.

The alliances forged by the PML-N with the MQM and GDA in Sindh, the JUI-F in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and the joining of 30 prominent political personalities from Balochistan also suggest that the PML-N itself is unsure about a landslide victory in Punjab this time. Some people also suggest that these developments also indicate some ‘behind-the-scenes efforts’ in putting together these alliances.

The PTI has also predicted rigging in the upcoming elections. Its Secretary General Umar Ayub has alleged that the ECP is planning to appoint Grade-17 and 18 officers from the executive as district returning and assistant returning officers, which he thinks is a clear and blatant attempt to rig the upcoming general elections.

He has further alleged “We are heading into very dark days ahead as plans of pre-poll and rigging and outright rigging the February elections have become apparent.” However, it is hard to give credence to such wild claims without credible evidence. The ECP has already refuted these allegations.

The PTI has a track record of hurling allegations against state institutions particularly the ECP and the chief election commissioner. It unleashed a persistent campaign against the institution and the PTI chairperson even accused the CEC of acting as Team B of the PML-N. Interestingly, it was under the supervision of the same CEC that the PTI won 15 seats in by-elections in Punjab.

The majority is well aware of the PTI’s false narrative about rigging in the 2013 elections, particularly Imran Khan’s allegations against Najam Sethi for helping the PML-N win 35 seats, which he sarcastically called ‘35 punctures’.

However, when the judicial commission formed to probe the allegations concluded that it had not found any evidence of rigging, Imran Khan admitted that the narrative was only political rhetoric. Not only this, but his entire politics has been premised on false narratives. The statement by Umar Ayub seems to be a similar plot to dent the elections’ credibility.

It is now well-known that the PTI itself was a product of political engineering in the 2018 elections. Even after coming into power, it employed traditional tactics to rig elections in its favour. The NA-75 by-election provides a ranting testimony to the undesirable antics of the PTI.

In the emerging political scenario, authorities responsible for conducting elections will have to make honest and strenuous efforts to hold free and fair elections to ensure credibility of the results. It is also imperative to remove apprehensions and misgivings being expressed by different political stakeholders.

While all those involved in the May 9 attacks are being prosecuted according to the law of the land, the party should not be kept out of the polls. All political parties should be taken into confidence regarding measures and rules to conduct the elections so that nobody could complain about not being given the level playing field. Elections undoubtedly are imperative to strengthen democracy.

Having said that, I am also of the view that no matter how many elections are held under the prevailing system, the country is not going to move ahead. A single constituency system has inbuilt avenues of corruption besides, ensuring monopoly of the feudal and elitist classes. The number game for clinching power leads to horse-trading and blackmail of party leaders.

This even provides an opportunity to non-democratic forces to play their role in the making and breaking of governments. We need to do away with the archaic system of governance and the way we elect our representatives.

In my view, the solution lies in switching over to a proportional representation system in which people vote for parties and not individual candidates, eliminating the possibility of pre-poll or post-poll rigging. The parties get representation in the assemblies according to the percentage of votes obtained.

The party leadership can nominate really competent people – and will not have to rely on electables – to represent the party in the assemblies. This method can ensure representation of small regional parties at the national level.

Political parties need to learn from history and use their collective wisdom in the larger interest of the nation to reform the system and put the country on the path envisioned by the founding father.

The writer is a freelance contributor. He can be reached at: ashpak10@gmail.com