Crying foul: ANP blames rigging, security situation

Accepts election results, poised to hold second meeting to discuss future course of action.

ISLAMABAD:

The embattled Awami National Party (ANP) on Monday jumped on the bandwagon of those claiming that the May 11 elections were rigged and turned up the pressure on the caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for failing to curb electoral malpractices.

At the same time, the party grudgingly accepted the election results and called for respect for the people’s mandate.

The ANP held a meeting of at its think-tank in Islamabad on Monday to determine the cause of their colossal defeat, particularly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), which was once its stronghold, in the elections.

Monday’s meeting was chaired by ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, and attended by senior leaders, including Afrasiab Khattak, Zahid Khan, Haji Adeel and Bushra Gohar and party heads from all four provinces.

ANP leader Zahid Khan said that party discussed the security challenges and rigging that damaged its mandate, particularly in K-P. “Despite all the anomalies, ANP accepts the election results and suggests that the people’s mandate should be respected and all the parties should be allowed to form their governments where they have received majority seats.”

Zahid said that the ANP decided to meet again on May 16 to determine its future course of action.

The ANP also held policies that were undertaken by the party as a coalition partner during the last five years with the Pakistan Peoples Party responsible for the setback.

During the meeting, the party also discussed at length the 31 lethal attacks carried out on its election rallies and workers. Unlike other rightwing parties, the ANP did not have the level playing field in the election campaign due to frequently being attacked by the Taliban in K-P and Karachi.

Zahid said that Asfandyar Wali Khan saluted the courage of ANP workers and supporters who came out of their homes and cast their ballots despite the threats. “We can be ousted from parliament, but we cannot be ousted from politics,” he quoted the party chief as saying.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2013.