Organisation politics: PTI in deadlock over its intra-party polls

There is consensus on direct elections and a membership drive but there is no clarity on the offices up for grabs

LAHORE: As the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf deliberates the modalities of its much-awaited intra-party polls, the party’s leaders seem to agree on holding direct elections and on the mechanism for a membership drive preceding the polls.

A committee formed by the Imran Khan in December to make recommendations for the second intra-party elections is making headway, PTI’s Punjab organiser Chaudhry Sarwar says.

The PTI election commission is expected to announce the membership drive. Party offices will be dissolved on the same day. The elections come in the backdrop of internal fissures that arose following the publication of a report by Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed. The report said the intra-party elections in 2013 had been marred by irregularities. The report had called for dissolution of the party’s elected bodies.

Sarwar says it is too early to talk of substantial decisions regarding the intra-party polls.

“Nonetheless, the committee has clarity on a few issues. One thing clear to us is that elections to all posts will be direct,” he says.

This, he says, will allow all members to have a say in election of their leadership. Commenting on reports of confusion regarding which offices the party intends to hold intra party elections to, Sarwar says, there is a difference of opinion over the issue.

“Some people are calling for elections on primary and secondary tiers only,” he says. Sarwar says the committee is undecided whether elections should be held at tehsil-level or be limited to district and provincial levels. Party officials say there may be a long way to go before consensus is reached over which designations will be open for elections.

“There is a clear divide over the issue not just within the party leadership but also between the committee and the election commission,” says one PTI office bearer who does not wish to be named.

“The fear is that opening lower-tier party offices to elections may cause cracks within party ranks,” he says.

The party’s election commission on Monday announced that it had nearly completed arrangements for a mechanism for the membership drive. A soft launch of its digital membership programme last week had tested the feasibility of the mechanism. The election commission has announced that it shall run a membership campaign for eight to 10 weeks during which party offices shall be dissolved.

There are also reports of the PTI’s election commission taking notice of allegations against Sarwar. Sarwar has denied suggestions that he has misused party offices.

“The election schedule has not even been announced and the membership campaign has launched officially. Such tall claims are in bad taste,” he says.

Sarwar, who has already expressed his intention of contesting in the elections, has said that as per the election commission’s decision, he shall relinquish the post and offer a level playing field to all those who wished to contest for the party’s president in the Punjab.

The party’s election commission has said that it will hold intra-party elections three months after the dissolution of party offices to neutralise any influence. It has also warned of disciplinary action against those engaging in misuse of party offices.

On Wednesday, a meeting between the party’s election commission and the intra-part election committee was held. It was also attended by the party chairman. It was decided in the meeting that party offices would be dissolved on January 15 and the membership drive would be launched at the same time, a party insider told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2016.