FAISALABAD:
The discourse on the method of minority representation in parliament has hovered around joint electorate system verses separate electorate for decades.
The Pakistan Christian Post (PCP), in a recent memorandum to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), has demanded minority representation in Parliament on the basis of “dual voting rights” after members from the Christian and Hindu community expressed serious reservations on the joint electorate system, introduced by former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf in 2000.
Dual Voting Right is an electoral system through which religious minorities can elect their representatives in Parliament, similar to separate electorates, while simultaneously voting for general seat candidates.
Highlighting the joint electorate system as one based on patronage, the PCP has said that the joint electorate system empowers “Muslim political parties to distribute minority reserved seats in parliament in a ratio to their seats in assemblies through selection of their favoured religious minority leaders, often after taking bribes in millions of rupees”.
In recent PCP polls 59% minorities favoured dual voting, 27% favoured joint electorates while 14% voted for separate electorates.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2012.
COMMENTS (5)
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@khalsa: I second Khalsa. Seperate electorates are just the tip of the iceberg. NO to separate electorates, Pakistan is not Imperial Great Britain. It's the job of the electorate to make sure they don't vote for the "yes-men" chosen by big parties. Eventually, the big parties will realize the futility of doing so and will choose the guys who actually have a backing of the electorate. Act responsibly yourself and also spread awareness in your community, stop blaming others for your internal unity issues.
YES to duel voting to elect our sincere & passionate representatives and not "popet" those talks only for their leadership but not for their community problems.
Yes to dual voting for effective represenation. No to Political parties stake in any shape to decide the representation for religiously marked communities.
same happened once in british India when britishers introduced separate electorate for hindus and muslims, it lead to divisive politics and we have now India and pakistan.
DEJA VU
Agree to the extent of Mal-intent. Political parties are neither pressed nor required to bring the best candidate forward. They therefor prefer Yes Men. Just take a look at PPP. All their minority reps in NA and Senate are Hindus. PMLN elevated Kamran Michel not for his prowess but loyalty to the cause and high handedness of PMLN. Shabaz Bhatti Shaheed and his sacrifice notwithstanding. Another alternate could be the the ECP conducts intra party elections for such candidates according to the religious density of Christian, Hindus and other religions of Pakistan.