G-B elections: political traditions and stereotypes

In a democracy, elections are the tools that make a fundamental contribution to governance. Out of an array of functions that elections play, many scholars agree that elections in some way or the other “enable voters to select leaders and to hold them accountable for their performance in office”. Also, an election helps citizens in building linkages with each other, thus facilitating political and social integration — theoretically speaking though.

As elections in Gilgit-Baltistan are scheduled to be held in mid-November, people in this administrative region of the country may well feel like they will be rewarding better performers by re-electing them and punishing those failing to meet their expectations by rejecting them. But this might only happen in an ideal situation.

Realistically speaking, certain political stereotypes always work well in elections — more so in the context of G-B elections. In more than a decade since the new governance set-up was introduced in 2009, political stereotypes and traditions have managed to prevail. The political party at the helm of affairs in Islamabad has traditionally been successful in G-B elections — and that too with a clear majority. In 2009-10, it was the PPP — the party in power in Islamabad — that formed government in G-B. The 2015 elections in G-B were won by the PML(N) which was then holding the reins of power in Islamabad.

Many questions have been raised during the last two elections. Losing parties have always accused the winning ones of using unfair means to win elections. But no proper investigation into the use of unfair means and official authority by the party ruling the Centre has ever been carried out to prove these allegations.

Apart from this, there are certain stereotypes as well as a kind of fear that shape voters’ tendencies. It is a general fear among the electorate in G-B that rejecting the party ruling the Centre may disturb a kind of patron-client relationship that exists between the two, which may lead to the remote region being neglected further — through budget cuts, for instance. Thus the G-B people electing the party in power at the Centre is a stereotype in vogue for long.

Besides, lack of visionary leadership is one factor that undermines the objectives of elections. Edward Stanwood while writing about election superstitions and fallacies in the US in 1912 very well said: “In general those who are engaged in the lower activities of campaigns do not take extremely broad views of public affairs, nor do they discern the meaning and foresee the consequences of great events. That which is insignificant, transitory, and local, affects their judgment more than that which is really important.” This sounds pretty true in the context of Pakistan in general and G-B in particular. Lower-level campaigners attempt to garner voters by promising them government jobs and official contracts and assuring solution to civic problems, like sanitation, while completing neglecting broader public affairs.

One believes it is for the central government to take a bold initiative and help rid the elections of these stereotypes and traditions, and make sure they are completely free and fair. Also, political leadership in G-B should discourage grassroots campaigners from promises like jobs and contracts. Election candidates should gather voters around their “vision” rather than unfair promises. Otherwise, it would do nothing but harm the accountability process and make good governance a pipe dream.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2020.

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