A year of elections

The year 2024 has started with the world gearing up for elections. Approximately two-and-a-half billion people in South Asia, including those in Pakistan, are preparing for elections.

Globally people in at least 64 countries, as well as the European Union, will be casting votes, which all together represent almost half of the global population. This staggering statistic underscores the pivotal role the democratic process plays in shaping the destiny of nations.

Almost one in three people globally will be using their right to vote at a time when geopolitical conflicts and economic challenges are impacting voters’ mood and election outcomes in key economies. This adds another layer of uncertainty to the already precarious landscape of 2024.

To navigate these complex economic challenges, it is essential to remain vigilant about how in 2024 they may affect the global community with a bleak economic outlook with significant implications for democratic processes.

While elections serve as a cornerstone of democratic societies providing citizens with an invaluable opportunity to shape the course of the future, young people hold a particular significance in this electoral process, representing a chance to actively engage in decision-making, voice their concerns, and contribute to the creation of tomorrow that aligns with their aspirations.

Reflecting on conversations with the younger generation of Pakistan – a country blessed with 65 per cent young population – regarding their expectations from the government in the upcoming elections, a recurring theme emerges: they think that this time the potential economic and political impact will be greater than in previous elections. They aspire to inhabit a country free from prejudices embedded in caste, ethnicity, gender, or class.

Their desire is for a government committed to development through high-priority mega-infrastructure and social-sector projects that benefit all citizens instead of just a privileged few. In essence, the younger generation stresses that for a nation to attain economic development, the government must prioritize sustainable development.

The government’s role is pivotal in identifying and financing high-priority infrastructure projects while ensuring essential services for the nation. Creating an enabling environment for private-sector enterprises – both foreign and local – is crucial, instilling trust that they can thrive and generate profits.

The government must uphold internal peace, secure the people and property, and maintain a just judicial system. Overcoming challenges requires a comprehensive and synergistic approach, introducing a development system aligned with our culture and environment. The youth of today understands that the outcomes of upcoming elections will directly influence policies impacting various aspects of their lives, including education, employment, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has also predicted that the upcoming general elections will help boost confidence in the economies while many reports highlight geopolitics as a very significant risk to the global economy.

In response to these aspirations, the incoming government must declare an industrial emergency with a focus on poverty eradication and creating an environment conducive to investments and innovations. The government must prioritize good governance, particularly in the realm of development.

Exploring national, regional, and global connectivity and markets is essential. A targeted approach to the development and efficiency of border crossings and seaports is crucial for a productive export-led model. Additionally, attention to the potential of the blue economy is to be given, in particular. Pakistan’s extensive coastline can generate significant benefits. Expanding initiatives like CPEC Phase II, and utilizing CPEC SEZs as centres of excellence for rapid industrial growth are essential steps.

The role of government through the SIFC and the BOI at the federal and provincial levels will be critical to creating an enabling environment that harnesses a development-led investor-friendly narrative capable of addressing the ease of doing business initiatives including the strength to address security challenges. The incoming government may also focus on joining BRICS and improving its influence on the SCO.

The incoming government must be committed to sustainable development, promoting innovation, research, and modernization. Strategies and measures should be swiftly implemented to bridge the gap between the privileged and the underprivileged, addressing poverty, social injustice, and unemployment, recognizing that these factors can weaken governments and hinder domestic security. Learning from global experiences, addressing challenges in economic cyclicality, and fast-tracking industrialization in sectors like petrochemicals, food processing, steel production, textiles, and pharmaceuticals are essential for employment generation and export growth.

Modernizing agriculture, the largest employment sector in Pakistan should facilitate the diversification of the rural economy, providing opportunities for rural youth. Imagination is required to address extreme poverty, leveraging Pakistan’s potential in human resources, raw materials, hydrocarbons, and agricultural products.

Fast-tracking industrialization and learning from neighbouring countries like China and Bangladesh are crucial to identifying interventions promoting forward and backward linkages. Addressing extreme poverty requires imagination to create opportunities for all. Pakistan’s potential lies in its capable human resources, raw materials, hydrocarbons, and agricultural products.

To achieve these goals, transformative, pragmatic, bold, efficient, and flexible leadership is needed. Improving and benefiting from existing realities before building new ones will be crucial in aligning with the vision set by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Therefore in the year of election and hope, the role of voters becomes of paramount significance in steering the trajectory of a developing country towards progress and prosperity. As citizens exercise their democratic right to cast their votes, they hold the power to shape the future of their nation.

In this crucial period, voters play a multifaceted role that extends beyond the act of casting a ballot and serves as the bedrock of democracy, contributing to the legitimacy of the electoral process. By actively participating in elections, individuals ensure that the government is a true reflection of the collective will of the people and should actively seek accountability, transparency, and responsiveness from their chosen representatives.

Beyond this, citizens should demand tangible commitments from politicians and should seek comprehensive policies that promote sustainable development, job creation, and equitable distribution of resources.

The writer is a project management specialist and is a faculty member at various institutes/universities. He has also served as a diplomat in China and Vietnam. He can be reached at: hdb4049@gmail.com