Senate elections

While it may be too early to analyse the results of the Senate elections, the entire exercise has shockingly turned out to be a stab in the back of the very democratic system that the polls were expected to strengthen and take forward. While some decisions by major parties were already casting a big dark shadow on their democratic credentials, mysterious events took place on polling day. A presidential ordinance in the middle of the night changed voting procedures for Fata MPs. That is unheard of. The KP assembly looked more like a primary school canteen and polling had to be delayed for hours and the media shut out to hide the deeds and misdeeds of those who speak of high morals and lofty principles on fork-lifted podiums in the middle of cities. Some major and minor revolts within the parties were already on the horizon and were seen in play on polling day. The PTI of Imran Khan appeared to be in the biggest mess with Khan apparently fighting off the moneyed traders of votes and his not-so-principled party leaders doing exactly what they had been doing while they were in other ‘traditional’ parties before they joined the PTI. Blank ballots turned up in Punjab marking signs of major discontent. In Balochistan the PML-N almost split on regional basis. Only Sindh remained quiet as Asif Ali Zardari is quite experienced in such matters of wheeling and dealing and the MQM is also a seasoned player.
The only culprit in all this is the Election Commission of Pakistan which not only remained a silent spectator but did nothing to assert its authority and enforce some rules. The ECP failure confirmed allegations lingering on since the 2013 general elections that matters were never in the ECP’s control. Issuing an ordinance in the middle of the night was one such example, forcing the suspension of voting for Fata MPs. Whatever the political repercussions and consequences of this entire mess for democracy and the political system as a whole, one thing is now certain – the ECP in its present form and shape cannot be trusted for any other electoral exercise, especially the all important local bodies polls now certain to be held later this year. If democratic forces and parties behave in such an undemocratic manner, allowing and conceding horse-trading and negating the principle of equal representation to all provinces by parachuting candidates from other provinces and forcing them to win, then the very concept of democracy may be under a cloud.