Towards free and fair elections

The run-up to the elections has been filled with intrigue, especially with the Tahirul Qadri drama and his various demands, including one to get the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) dissolved. Given that the PPP has been buffeted on all sides, it has remained preternaturally calm and committed to the process. It has now taken an extra needed step by assuring us that the caretaker set-up will not include any retired generals or judges. This announcement was essential as the last thing we need is an interim government that feels it has the right to interfere in elections.

The PPP did not give an exact date for dissolving parliament except to say that this will be done in mid-February. However, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain of the PML-Q has said that assemblies will be dissolved on March 14. Removing the last bit of uncertainty regarding the date of the dissolution of the assemblies would have also helped move the process along and the PPP should consult with its allies and the opposition and make a definite announcement in this regard as soon as possible. The PPP, having already given Tahirul Qadri importance he did not deserve by signing an agreement to give him a voice in the composition of the caretaker set-up, should resist doing the same for others. The PTI, for example, does not have a single seat in parliament and so has no constitutional role to play in this process.



The PPP will also have to resist pressure to replace the ECP. That body was chosen with the appropriate input from the opposition and the choice of Fakhruddin G Ebrahim as chief election commissioner was unanimous. Now that certain political parties have seen their fortunes wane, they are looking for a scapegoat and the ECP is the most convenient target. Replacing the ECP now would signal a distinct lack of trust in the constitutional process and allow the government to be repeatedly held hostage every time opposition parties aren’t happy about something. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring free and fair elections and no one should be allowed to overstep their bounds. In the past, the shortcomings of civilian rule were cited as reason for disrupting democracy and the country paid dearly for this. It must now be ensured that this does not happen again.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2013.