Local government: Tripartite alliance an unseen entity before re-polls

Mian Iftikhar says ANP hasn’t accepted results but will participate to throw PTI off

PESHAWAR:

A tepid run up to the July 30 local government re-polls seems like a foregone conclusion after developments such as floods in Chitral, the Judicial Commission’s report on 2013 general elections and politicking for district governments.

Exactly two months ago, almost all political parties in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were almost frantically preparing for the May 30 LG polls. Less than two months ago, parties were still giving LG due importance, calling foul over alleged rigging. But the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to re-poll stations where irregularities were noted met with a lukewarm response and things have only gone quieter ever since. Now re-polls are just four days away and there is hardly any campaigning or political activity visible.

While Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and its allies are still basking in the glory of their May 30 performance, and adding partners to the provincial coalition government, the tripartite alliance of opposition parties has shown little interest in regaining ground lost to the coalition parties. Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Peoples Party – all their offices look deserted and leaders are not seen busy solidifying seat arrangements. Perhaps the tripartite fails to see the significance of such limited re-polls on the overall local government picture. Perhaps the tripartite alliance has lost relevance. One thing is certain, their vote bank is scattered and ANP is busy jostling with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which has a lead in the LG set-up which is sufficient enough for it to not care too much about July 30.

Nonetheless, what the re-polls will do is legitimise the elections and once the controversy surrounding them is settled, then real electioneering will begin. Parties in every district, tehsil and town council will resume efforts to attract as many swinging candidates as possible – bringing some alliances to life once again. But for now electioneering remains a cold affair.

Guns gone silent

At the onset, the opposition’s alliance had announced an outright rejection of the May 30 polls and even called for heads to roll and a caretaker set-up to takeover.

Alliance chief and ANP General Secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain said his party has still not accepted poll results. “We are still participating in the re-polls to give PTI a tough time,” he said. “The alliance will pursue the same adjustment formula that members decided upon before May 30.” Mian Iftikhar added, “These polls are a continuation of May 30. This is the reason why we have restricted our activities and are pursuing the same agreements.”

While earlier alliance members used to speak for the entire front, now leaders comment on their own party’s agenda. Mian Iftikhar said ANP wants to expose the “so-called champions of change.”

Pakistan Peoples Party leader Nighat Orakzai maintained the alliance is still intact and seat adjustment with fellow members will be made public on either Sunday (today) or Monday. “We held a meeting after ECP’s announcement. We agreed to support each other’s candidates,” she said.

However, the decision of party bigwigs did not go down well with local tier leaderships and the alliance could not work out in councils in numerous districts of K-P.

“We will not tolerate any mismanagement or rigging this time,” Orakzai added.

Common enemy?

JUI-F says it is still up for a fight against PTI and Co. “We have already decided upon everything. There is no need to form a new alliance,” said JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Jalil Jan. He said the party was following a policy of restraint and tolerance for the greater good of democracy otherwise poll rigging is already the talk of the town.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2015.