Senate polls: PTI chief presses for open balloting

Appeals to other parties to support move and thwart vote-buying; says constitutional amendment needed

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday renewed his demand for open balloting during the upcoming Senate elections, pre-empting the possibility of provincial legislators from his party switching loyalties on the polling day under the secret balloting system – a procedure enshrined in the Constitution.

In what appears to be an unconstitutional stance, the PTI chief called on political stakeholders to back his demand for open balloting in the upper house of parliament election slated for March 5.

“I would ask all political parties to support open voting for the Senate elections,” the PTI supremo said while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters nestled in Islamabad’s G-6 area.



Under Article 226 of the Constitution, all elections other than those of the prime minister and the chief minister, shall be held by secret ballot. Imran has vociferously criticised the procedure, calling for an open ballot in the Senate polls – a demand that can only be met after amending the Constitution.

Such a constitutional amendment would pave the way for direct polls in the Senate, the PTI chief told the media.

Substantiating his claims about widespread use of kickbacks and political horse-trading ahead of the Senate polls, the PTI chief said, “Someone has already offered Rs150 million as donation to Shaukat Khanum Hospital to acquire a party ticket.”

He said the procedure of secret balloting allows political lobbyists to buy off votes.

Raising alarm about money changing hands in the Senate election, the PTI chief said that his party would take disciplinary action against candidates who indulge in last-minute horse trading.

Vulnerable to horse-trading, most political parties, including Imran Khan’s PTI, have already formed panels to ensure that their candidates pass through the electoral process.

Sources familiar with the development said that PTI chief has directed his closest political confidantes within the party’s coterie, including K-P chief minister Pervez Khattak, to stamp out internal differences and woo party members ahead of the Senate polls.

Commenting on the intense politicking ahead of the March 5 vote, former law minister and Senator S.M Zafar recommended that “political parties should not issue directions to their members to vote for a specific candidate.”

The former lawmaker and constitutional expert instead urged political parties to nurture political morality instead of going for coercive measures to ensure victory of their candidates.

Responding to a question about Article 63A of the Constitution, which is known as ‘defection clause’, Zafar said that party chiefs cannot take action against any member under this provision in case he or she does not follow the party policy. The only thing a party head can do is to take disciplinary action, he added.

Similarly, talking to The Express Tribune, PILDAT President Ahmed Bilal Mehboob said: “The allegations of use of money to buy votes might be true but the trend is not widespread.” “It (horse-trading) happens where loyalties of political parties are weak,” he added.

Voicing his opposition to Imran’s demand, Mehboob said there was no need for changing the rules for the Senate election. He suggested that instead of calling for an open ballot, political parties should promote morality and discipline within their ranks.

Poll rigging

To a question about the delay in constitution of a judicial panel to probe allegations of widespread vote fraud in the 2013 general election, Imran said that his party would not backpedal on its demands.

G-B elections

Talking about the elections in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), the PTI leader cautioned that his party would launch a protest campaign against what he said was widespread “pre-poll” rigging by the ruling PML-N government.

He said that the PML-N administration had handpicked the caretaker government in the region and appointed a sitting federal minister as governor.

He alleged that the newly appointed governor was doling out money to influence voters in G-B. “We will first go to the Supreme Court and then take to the streets but will not let the government rig elections as it did in 2013.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2015.