Rethinking election strategies
The writer is a researcher on parliamentary and electoral affairs. He tweets @dnananjum
With elections just a couple of months away, set for February 8, 2024, political stakeholders are actively engaged in garnering support and creating appeals for the masses, and cultivating alliances across Pakistan.
Amidst a vibrant political environment, diverse issues and slogans are surfacing, ranging from programmatic concerns to those focused solely on “naming and shaming”. One of the emerging trends is the advocacy by certain political parties for the reversal of the 18th Constitutional Amendment — a political position that seemed to be aligned with the establishment’s stance. Since its enactment in April 2010, successive elections have witnessed certain political parties striving to unravel the constitutional changes achieved through parliamentary consensus. The Amendment, crafted after extensive deliberations by a committee representing all political parties in the Parliament, as claimed by its authors, cleaned the Constitution, with later undemocratic additions and deletions.
The decentralisation of responsibility and authority facilitated by the 18th Amendment allowed institutional actors to renegotiate their roles in a contested space. Empowered by amended laws, Provincial Governments took some decisive steps, creating new institutional frameworks, formulating policies and enhancing their capacity to fulfil their duties. Despite such advancements, the Amendment continues to face resistance from the bureaucracy, inherently impervious to relinquishing resources and authority. An illustration of this resistance was evident from the outset as federal ministries retained certain functions, even post-Amendment, rather than their full devolution to provinces — a clear manifestation of bureaucratic opposition.
While acknowledging challenges, questioning the entirety of the positive action without understanding the true spirit of decentralisation is unwarranted. In essence, decentralisation aligns with democratic norms, emphasising the need for a transformation in political intent and practice to accommodate a greater number of decision-makers. Local government elections following the 18th Amendment demonstrated the potential success of grassroots-level institutions. However, the subsequent delay in elections suggested a lack of political will to sustain decentralisation.
Similarly, historically, public health and hospitals had always remained exclusively in the provinces under the constitutions of 1956 and 1962, the interim constitution of 1972, and ultimately the Constitution of 1973. The question arises: how could the operation of hospitals be considered a “federal purpose”, given that the Constitution explicitly states otherwise? Moreover, devolution in spirit appears to be crucial for educational institutions. The oversight and practice have led to some improvements, though further research is required to unveil the specifics within these sectors.
The 18th Amendment has been an important milestone in the constitutional history of Pakistan. It came into existence after a consensus had been developed for strengthening the federation through an increase in the strength of the units. The Parliament has been empowered more than before. The functions and structure of the Parliament — especially the Senate — and the election commission have been reshaped on an institutional basis. No doubt, some controversies have appeared, which were often part of democratic decisions, but with the developments following better results may appear in the coming days given allocation and political inclination.
Calls by some political parties to undo the 18th Amendment seem calculated only to align with the preferences of the establishment, which has historically favoured a federal system. Opponents of this move must also substantiate their stance with evidence and practice as the current figures may suggest otherwise. The next general elections must truly be based on political parties and candidates prioritising on creating programmatic appeals, focusing on citizens’ welfare, to align with democratic norms and values, rather than fulfilling wishes of a select few. This shift will ensure a more robust and coherent democratic process for Pakistan — one that is the need of the hour.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2023.
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