Intra-party elections

Despite our history of sham elections and IJIs we hope that democracy, one day, will deliver a just and equitable society. Is it not then a fallacy to accept our mainstream political parties as mere heirlooms? The tussle between the PTI leadership and its own election tribunal has been disappointing, especially given the slogans of transparency that drove the PTI’s election campaign in 2013. The dirty linen out in the open is deflating those hopes and the PTI will pay for that – as it should. Still the idea that political parties must democratise themselves to preach democracy remains sacrosanct.
However, critics seem largely content with heaping scorn over the failure of the PTI instead of using that scorn as a whip to make other political dynasties uncomfortable in their saddles and force them to fall in line. The 18th Amendment, as great as it is, legitimised dictation in political parties by doing away with intra-party elections. Instead, it should have paved the way for intra-party electoral reforms. Then the PTI would have been robbed of any moral high ground. After all if democracy really is the best revenge, why does the combined political brass, aghast at the collective vilification by the PTI, exercise that revenge on the PTI by mainstreaming elections in every political party? Otherwise, what difference does it make if starched-khaki gives way to starched-white?
Dr Raja Muhammad Atif Azad
Ireland