Seeking clarity

How is the nation to expect ‘fair’ elections when it has no system or foundation upon which the concept can be built.

Going by the number of newsprint columns that have been filled by Dr Tahirul Qadri and his high jinks in Islamabad and elsewhere, it was conceivable that someone would come up with something concrete as to how he arrived on the scene and at whose prompting — and, more importantly, with whose financing.

Conjectures have been made, the main accused being the mighty military of Pakistan whose grey matter and wealth were brought into play. Then there is the even mightier US that has cropped up. If either were a player in the Qadri game, it is difficult to work out the reasoning or aims of each. What was the hoped for result — that chaos would ensue and guarantee that a ‘saviour’ would be needed? That the government would actually cave in? Would either result have benefited the nation and the vital matter of governance? Or was it Machiaevelli?

There are many questions but no answers. Qadri came, lingers, talks. There are those who maintain that he has made a difference, that the politicians, by and large, will have absorbed some wisdom from the event (or non-event). But we cannot discount the nothingness of what happened and its outcome because actually nothing has changed. A futile deal was struck by the two sides, who after heaping abuse upon one another fell into each others arms, wreathed in smiles, even laughing. What a show it was for the television channels and a public waiting with bated breath. Then, what a let down!

So, we have yet another puzzle, unsolvable for now and probably for always, thrust upon the Islamic Republic, which is totally at sea when it comes to living up to any Islamic ideals.

We have returned to the ‘free and fair’ elections syndrome, which has been with us since 1970 after which all elections for one reason or another have been increasingly less ‘free and fair’. Prior to each election, those standing with the aim of grabbing the national goodies have shouted themselves hoarse proclaiming that the coming election will be ‘free and fair’, as is now the case with the ruling party. And this, despite the fact that in each case pre-poll rigging was and is underway in one form or another.

The election commission has never been a factor towards even attempting to ensure some sort of ‘free and fair’ elections. It has forever been a dead donkey. This time around, because of the appointment of the 84-year-old election commissioner, great things are expected of it by the naïve who look on. It is making noises banning this, ruling that, knowing fully well that it has no powers to put the brakes on the ongoing corruption that surrounds elections, the flow of funds and jobs being doled out. As it is with the judiciary, we have seen and are now seeing that in certain cases it may order and order away but it has no powers of enforcement, so it is with the election commission.

Reportedly, the turnout for the 2008 election was just over 30 per cent, and reportedly also, there were some 37 million fake voters. That is not only where the commission slipped up, with or without intent. It failed utterly to scrutinise the candidates standing, the future representatives of the people, and we are now lumbered, in all the assemblies, with hundreds of lawmakers who in actual fact are law breakers (to use a Qadri word) as is well known and publicised to no avail.

So, apart from all that, how is the nation to expect ‘free and fair’ elections when it has no political party system or foundation upon which the concept of a ‘free and fair’ election-based democracy can be built. The two main political parties and many of their lesser fellows, with which it seems fated we must coexist, are family affairs, feudal outfits, controlled by feudals and autocrats — all of them anti ‘free and fair’ dinosaurs.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2^nd, 2013.