Fresh forces to reckon with

The youth and strong opposition are two forces which portend well for our democratic, political and social evolution

The much-awaited election day came and ended with candidates either celebrating victory or defying defeat. Notwithstanding the protests against alleged rigging sprouting from videos making rounds on the social media and also indicated by some political parties, the fact is that the process is over and the next political regime is about to take over from the caretaker set-up. The two stark hallmarks of these elections are firstly, the record turnout (60 per cent reportedly) and secondly, the emergence of a new player in the political arena, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which has risen as the second largest political force with its predominant presence in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) as the leading party and also the mainstay of opposition at the centre. What do these two facts spell for Pakistan’s politics in the years to come?

Firstly, let’s take a look at the high turnout factor. Besides being a watershed event in the political history of Pakistan, where the rare occasions for voting had never brought such huge numbers to the polling booths, the turnout was more pronounced for the presence of the elite as well as the educated middle and lower middle class voters, not fervent about voting prior to these elections. The first-time voters, women voters and the overwhelming involvement of the youth are significant milestones that form undeniable pointers for an active and energised future electoral road map in the country. The urban voter ecology can be seen and understood by the nexus between youth mobilisation drawing its strength from the demographic “youth bulge” in the population with around 60 per cent of the population below the age of 30 and fresh links in the chain, including first-time adult voters and women, the female factor before now, almost non-existent in the voters quantum. Voting during these elections came across as more of a collective family affair in its occurrence, although diverse in mandate with each family member voting for the candidate of his or her choice. The fact points to the evolution of “independent thinking” and the “choice factor” carving its place in politico-socio decision making. These two outcomes by themselves are worth any voting exercise.

The youth factor in the population, expected to continue for the next few decades will ensure an effective future workforce presence, their capacities, capabilities and opportunities, however, dependent on the policies of the successive governments in power. The awareness of their very presence, the heightened significance of their role after these elections and the realisation of their strength and force so awakened will be hard to ignore by any future government. This should give enough reason to political parties to be wary of their future performance. The price of incompetence or mismanagement may well be high and with consequences this time around; the terms of accountability though apparently silent but extremely effective in the long term.

Secondly, the envisaged real-time presence of a strong opposition in parliament may be another strong incipient force. Although the PTI has not been able to garner majority vote as it vociferously claimed all along, it has emerged as a solid political presence which can neither be ignored nor undermined as a power to reckon with by the newly formed government and other political players. If the PTI decides to lead the opposition, that it so far is determined to do, it might as well be the inception of a new era of “constructive criticism” in the political framework of the country. Opposition for the sake of opposition or a dummy opposition — without any real effect or influence on the decisions of the elected government — have, so far, been the safe choices of the oppositions we have seen so far. The new government is definitely faced with a new force to weigh its actions against, despite the ramrod capability available at its disposal. For the first time, the opposition may have a real chance to play a positive, constructive and effective role in the political decision-making of the country.

Both factors are wholesome and portend well for Pakistan’s democratic, political and social evolution. They are essential ingredients required for mature, balanced, inclusive and informed decision-making — factors which have been badly missing from the political arena so far.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.