KARACHI:
Elections in Pakistan have always been controversial due to allegations and counter-allegations of stealing mandates, rigging and manipulation. The losing political parties cry foul and accuse the winning side of tampering with the results. In the process, other institutions are also blamed for meddling in favour of a particular political party.
Successive governments have tried to introduce electoral reforms to address the issue, but their efforts have constantly failed. The 2018 general election was no exception to this. And since then, the opposition has called the incumbent government “selected” rather than “elected”. Being mindful of the problem, the sitting government has tried to reform the mechanism by introducing the idea of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in order to plug existing loopholes and improve transparency. Prime Minister Imran Khan was recently given a demo of the proposed voting machines. However, we must understand that EVMs solely cannot be a solution. The gadget had been tested by several countries previously but was discarded because of technical faults. For a cash-strapped country like ours, the manufacturing of thousands of these devices will cost the national purse dearly. The machines will also require regular maintenance to avoid malfunctions as well as storage facilities, which will further add to the cost. In addition, the operating staff for the EVMs will be required to undergo training. We must consider the poor literacy rate in the country. With 40% of the population below the standard level of literacy, it will be a daunting challenge for them to cast their votes through a digital set-up. Their unfamiliarity with the new mechanism will make the entire process susceptible to exploitation and fraud. To rectify this, staff presence will be required in all polling stations to ensure technical support. Likewise, safety of the machines after polling will require extra vigilance.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has also objected to some of the government’s measures. The government must take all stakeholders into confidence over the proposed reforms and address the reservations of the opposition. Instead of experimenting with a novel idea and making the whole process more controversial, it will be much more practical to bring about reforms in the paper-based election and make it more acceptable to all.
Rahman Rasheed
Buner
Published in The Express Tribune, August 12th, 2021.
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