ISLAMABAD:
Unlike PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, President Zardari seems uninterested in seeking any electoral alliances for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
PPP’s information secretary MNA Qamar Zaman Kaira said it was too early for the party to disclose any specific plan, only revealing “of course we realise that contesting the polls single-handedly won’t be an easy thing.”
However, close aides say the Pakistan People’s Party might look into seat adjustments with other parties.
Sources say that the president is aware that his party might not be able to win a majority in Parliament all by itself. He, however, is still wary of entering into an alliance with any of the parties currently in the ruling coalition. PPP leaders say that the party will look into seat adjustments in various constituencies instead.
One of the senior PPP members said the party, for example, will not compete against MQM in a Karachi constituency. “It is also possible that PPP and MQM will try to eliminate a third party in a particular constituency to fight it out amongst themselves.”
Sources say the reason behind PPP’s limited electoral cooperation with other parties was the emerging regionalism in the country’s politics. They say the decision is made keeping in mind the fact that trends and priorities are different for different areas.
“Ethnic associations, lingual connections and tribal affiliations are new trends driving Pakistan’s politics. There is no concept of a centralised powerbase anymore. So let’s use these realities to our advantage,” an associate quoted Zardari as telling a group of PPP leaders.
According to him, the PPP might go for seat adjustment with the MQM in Karachi, Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa and Pakistan Muslim League-Q in Punjab. But PPP’s cooperation with the ANP in K-P would not mean that they are also partners in other provinces as well, he said.
The source said the PPP could have an adjustment with another party for an NA seat, but could contest against the same party for a provincial constituency.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2012.
COMMENTS (11)
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Ethnic and linguistic politics is not a vice but a virtue. Local ethnic politics is not usually made on hate but on love to one's own ethnicity which helps in control of our own resources. This is what we should learn from our neighbour India where the state government is always with local ethno-linguistic parties and that leads to a strong federation. We should cherish diversity.
ethnic and lingusitic politics only emerge when central Govt fails to deliver so i blame PPP govt for that ,,
Nothing new in this news. PPP has never made an electoral alliance and contested as national party. The other rightwing parties always formed alliance (with the help of ISI and their money) against the PPP. However, the seat adjustment would be a better policy for the elections, just like forming coalition with the secular parties to give representation to different areas of the country. The next govt must be inclusive not exclusive.
@Blithe: First of all re-naming of the province has nothing to do with ethnic division based politics of IK. I am a Punjabi but I think it is a good thing NWFP label was changed to KPK because the name itself (Frontier?) was continuation of British geo-political strategy and that was to use martial races of that region as strategic ditch against northern invaders. The name change was a symbol that people of KPK are an integral segment of Pakistani nation.
Not making electoral alliance will ensure that they can hit the polls without compromising their mandate in any way and once they are in the parliament, we all know how efficient they are at making alliances with practically anyone!
The only thing that irks me is how this decision is being made to look like it's been stemmed by 'Mr Zardari' and not the party .. Zardari quite vehemently insists that all such decisions are taken by the party and not him .. interesting.
@Pakistan politics: Like we need any ? Hopefully we are goin to win next elections too. Bhutoism Till Death :)
PPP = pakistan plunder party PML= PAK military league ANP = Anything for Paisa MQM = Militant qaumi movement JI-JUI = ISI's strategic Ass-sets in AFG and PAK
Who else is clean ?
Kaira sb why not speak out the truth, no one is actually willing to contest in general elections in alliance with you.
@zafar khattak: Your observation is realistic and truistic. Salams to Pakistan
@zafar khattak: Last I checked IK in his wisdom was actively supporting the renaming of NWFP to KPK.
But I agree, PPP (with mqm and ppp) is the worst in actively creating an ethnic divide and playing race card.
“Ethnic associations, lingual connections and tribal affiliations are new trends driving Pakistan’s politics. There is no concept of a centralised powerbase anymore. So let’s use these realities to our advantage,” an associate quoted Zardari as telling a group of PPP leaders.
The ppp is the one that has started this ethnic hate in pakistan.they are the ones active promoting the divisions of provinces on the basis of ethnicity.