Better news

It is welcome to see the Commonwealth praising Balochistan govt for its holding of local bodies elections.

In a country where good news is as rare as hens’ teeth and even rarer coming from Balochistan, it is indeed welcome to see that the Commonwealth has praised the Balochistan provincial administration for its holding of local bodies elections. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) has written to the Balochistan administration to congratulate it on taking the lead — nationally — in the holding of local government elections on December 7, 2013. The letter made reference to the Eighteenth Amendment, which has opened up opportunities for the exercising of greater local governance and allowed a wider participation in a powerful democratic exercise that is firmly based at the grass roots. The provincial government had sought advice and assistance from the CLGF for the training of local bodies councillors. It goes on to say that the CLGF is committed to working with the provincial government and looked forward to identifying other opportunities for collaboration.



Why this piece of demonstrably good news is not being more widely advertised is something of a mystery. The provincial government is rightly pleased to have received the letter from the CLGF but for reasons unknown has chosen not to release the details publicly. Balochistan is the poorest and least well resourced of the provinces, yet it was able to hold elections; whilst the other provinces are still dithering and scratching their heads as they perform political gymnastics in an effort to dodge the oncoming train that is local elections.

An unnamed official of the Balochistan administration has speculated that the reason for his government’s reticence may be that it would show the federal government in poor light along with the governments of larger, wealthier and more peaceful provinces than Balochistan. If Balochistan can organise something as complex as a local election and that to a standard that it garners the appreciation of a respected international body, then why is the same not possible everywhere else? The Goliaths of the government have just had a lesson from the provincial Davids, and Balochistan has every justification for being discreetly proud of itself.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2014.

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