Election and minorities

We must abolish 'minority wings' in political parties which do nothing other than perpetuate minorities’ exclusion

Acceding to a major demand of the minority communities, the Punjab cabinet has approved amendments to the Punjab Local Government Act whereby the religious minorities will be able to vote for general seats in addition to reserved seats in the province’s local body elections. The decision is being hailed by minority community representatives as one that could pave the way for better living conditions and opportunities for minorities throughout the province.

The move is undoubtedly a step in the right direction as the current system has several major flaws. Foremost among them is the fact that candidates currently elected on general seats have no political incentive to attend to the needs of minority communities. They do not depend on the minority vote to win elections and therefore concentrate exclusively on the needs of their constituents who have put them in office. No wonder, then, that many minority communities live in conditions of neglect and without many of life’s basic necessities.

Under the new system, minority constituents, however small in number, would have the ability to sway elections and would thus force candidates to actively campaign for their votes. Legislators would, therefore, be directly answerable to their minority constituents and held to account come re-election time.

Additionally, steps must be taken to bring minorities into the mainstream if we are to adequately resolve their problems. One is the abolition of ‘minority wings’ in our political parties which do nothing other than perpetuate minorities’ exclusion and prevent their integration. Also, the government must, primarily through the media, strive to make minorities a part of the national discourse. Such measures would ultimately benefit the country by bringing to the fore minorities’ true potential.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 10^th, 2019.

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