Senate reforms

As much as its defenders would try to label it as a democratic structure this is rarely the case

The proposed constitutional amendment to require a ‘show of hands’ rather than a secret vote is an interesting proposal from the government. When seen in a vacuum, there is nothing wrong with it because it would go a long way in cleaning up the sale of Senate seats, which is an open secret of Pakistani governance. Despite the appearance of many ‘qualified’ senators over the years, several occupants of seats in the upper house have little background to justify their presence. More often than not, such senators also leave office without achieving much. They do, however, get the opportunity to enrich themselves with the power and influence that comes with high office, and that really is all that the Senate of Pakistan is in its current form.

As much as its defenders would try to label it as a democratic structure for in-depth debate on difficult issues, this is rarely the case. The Senate has no direct representation. People are often unfamiliar with their constituencies since seats are mostly handed out to cronies, either for payment or as political favours. Very rarely, as is the case for the few competent senators, we will see party loyalists and technocrats appointed. The debate is often no better than that in the National Assembly. But at least in the NA, we, the people, are at fault for electing whoever lowers the quality of debate. The Senate, however, is made up wholely of those that curry favour with the Sharifs, Imran Khan, Asif Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and a few other senior politicians. Competence will always be a secondary consideration.

So while the idea of voting by ‘show of hands’ is a good start, it is well short of what is required. There have even been cases where influential politicians, having lost elections for the National Assembly, were seated in the Senate. How does this make the Senate representative? People who couldn’t even win an election in their own home constituencies being given, arguably, even more powerful and longer-term jobs. Parliament belongs to the people. Not to Nawaz, Imran, Zardari, or any cabal. We should be the ones selecting our senators.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 19^th, 2020.

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