Pakistan’s High Stake Elections Ahead

With the completion of term of five years PPP regime, virtually everything in the country seems subordinated to the general elections announced for May, 11. At the core of the on-going political crisis of destructive and blood-letting law and order situation, worst ever economy, tension and conflict at the expense of public interest, insecurity and uncertainty that can be hugely detrimental to the progress of Pakistan towards democracy, is the coming parliamentary election. It is now election season. Pakistan goes to the polls in coming month. Themes running through the election campaigns, amongst other issues, include highest food inflation, unprecedented corruption and bad governance, lack of development, energy crisis, and repercussions of national scandals. Unfair and outdated election laws are also at the core of many problems. Mere conducting of elections periodically doesn’t prove that we have an effective democracy. The poverty, unemployment, illiteracy levels indicate the inefficiency of our political system.

Who will gain the mandate to form the government, and who will be given the responsibility to be in opposition is always left to the people in civilized nations. In our case the electoral game is played from a zero-sum platform of a pre-determined result — one side stubborn to have it pre-determined that they will continue to hold power, while the other is determined to go to power that was lost the previous time. Over the years since restoration of looting and plundering “democracy” unseating the “dictator”, our leaders on both sides of the political spectrum have worked hard to have in place an election structure and process that can ensure only their victory.

The right to vote is fundamental to democracy. Democracy is said to be an ideal form of government in which people are governed by their own elected representatives. However voting is a meaningless exercise without choice. Free and fair elections are essential in assuring the “consent of the governed,” the bedrock of democratic politics. Every voter should be able to vote for a candidate of his choice, and each single vote should be worth the same. Unfortunately electoral system in Pakistan is outmoded, unfair, and undemocratic, due to which it has been governed by third-rate leaders who, along with their cronies, have plundered the nation’s wealth and ruined the country’s institutions. The position today is one can’t get even a death certificate without paying a bribe. The measures that need to be taken to ensure that elections are free and fair so that this vital aspect of our democracy is truly well-served and our vote for the candidate or party we support is not made a mockery of.

Democracy is theoretically a form of government in which the voice of the people is supreme and where the laws are fashioned according to their wishes, but it is not the case in our country due to quality of leaders we elect.  We enjoy every right in theory, but not in practice. The idea of a socialistic pattern of society has remained a dream only. There is support of politicians only for keeping the current system status quo. Most of the educated class doesn’t vote, their vote hardly counts if they do. They abuse their votes. They are easily bought by the capitalist politicians. Our democracy has therefore become a democracy of the rich, for the rich and by the rich. No single party in Pakistan can claim to be really democratic. Inner party democracy among political parties does not exist any more. Elections are either not held or only an eye wash for party positions in these parties.

Most of the Pakistanis do not care much for democracy per se, which had always been the prerogative of the intelligentsia. The question whether democracy has a future in Pakistan has aroused grave concern among our educated ones. Even the most pious optimist believes that our democracy has a bleak future. Democracy has not yielded desired results in the past. For becoming a developed nation, again it lies in the hands of people in coming elections.

Can there be any light at the end of the tunnel? The answer is no and yes. No, if the mutual distrust, tension, worst law and order situation, energy crisis, and plundering of national assets continue. In that case the end-result can help anything but democracy and democratic aspirations of the people. The answer can be yes, if there is a realization at the top that enough is enough; that there is no option but to quit the evils and sincerely work for the country for the good of the people and democracy; they are also the ones who don’t need to be reminded of the ill-effects for the nation in general and for them in particular, of the failures in the past to ensure peaceful transition.

Further, we can’t put the entire blame for current state of affairs on our political system because it is not functioning in vacuum. The society has share in the blame. The behavior of our political system is its response to the society and to reform our political system, we need to reform society and its subsystems. This is where electoral reform becomes important. Sincerity, loyalty and commitment are the basic tenets of democracy. Real democracy will come into being only when the masses are awakened and take part in the economic and political life of the country. Let us not let it be killed prematurely for politicians’ follies. We must use our right of vote wisely favoring only the deserving candidates.