As the elections are just around the corner in Pakistan, the dismal state of the "republic" beckons change; change of not only the "guards", but the direction of the country as well. The current tenure of this "democratic" government has not only multiplied the miseries of the deprived citizenry, but has also precipitated other unprecedented predicaments, jeopardizing the future of the federation. Reasons being, to put them in a nutshell and to sound a bit cliched, sheer incompetence and rampant corruption. Now an apposite question, given the status quo, has to be whether these general elections are the solution to these mounting problems? Well, the answer to that isn't all that simple.
The pattern of politics prevalent throughout the country, or at least in many parts of it, is based upon individual constituencies, where families dominate the electorate. Their worth isn't based on their abilities, or their deliverance, but is based on the power that they "yield" by virtue of owning a piece of land - feudalism! This very phenomenon has been one of the major catalysts in the poor standards of governance. Since these families nominate the candidates in these particular constituencies, they directly, or indirectly, shape the politics of the region and the province. In turn affecting the policy making procedures of the political parties that they represent, decreasing the party's worth in the actual sense - the actual capabilities of the party to be of major benefit to the system, or to the nation. Hence, the worrisome factor of the constituency-based politics!
Other complcations of note that act as a huge impediment in bringing about meritocracy through the electoral process, is the ever notorious electoral process itself! Rampant rigging has been the norm unfortunately in this republic of ours, with pre-poll rigging being quite prominent. Pre-poll in the form of the incumbents brazenly using state resources and machinery for campaigning, or advancing their chances of re-election, drastically! Common forms of rigging in the past, in Pakistan, have been through the registration of bogus votes via the Election Commission, and also through practically entering fake votes in polling stations, during or after the polling process - while the counting of votes. Obviously, such a practice, or malpractice, comes about due to the negligence, or the corruption, of the Election Commission staff too. Intimidation is another way of rigging. Voters intimidated by virtue of various means of pressure - violent means in many cases - are forced to cast their vote in favor of the suppressor!
With a new, and independent, Chief Election Commissioner now, chances of a dramatic decrease in all forms of rigging seem quite likely. Though there are still some major obstacles to overcome in this regard! One of them is the disqualification of the constitutionally ineligible candidates, fielded by the respective political parties. The constitution clearly lays out the framework to go about eliminating the fraudulent candidates, who file their nominations. Another major task for the Election Commission to carry out, in order to ensure fair polls, is the 'voter-verification' process! This is particularly quite challenging in a megalopolis like Karachi, due to obvious reasons. The notorious rule of different mafias, throughout the city, poses great challenges, to name one amongst many. But with the Supreme Court directing the Army to assist in this process, one seriously hopes of success, at least in relative terms!
Another daunting challenge facing the country, for the necessary process of change to begin, is the formation of a neutral caretaker government. The sitting government, obviously, will carry the onus in this regard! According to the constitution, the opposition leader in the current parliament, or the National Assembly, is the other player - formation of the caretaker setup. A lot is at stake, and all the stakeholders will be watching closely, in order to pounce on any chicanery that might come about. Which historically is very likely!
As already intimated, the Supreme Court is one institution that displays many signs of being a key player in this complicated and highly challenging process of genuine change, with initially ensuring sanity to prevail prior to the general elections. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or 'PTI', has risen dramatically amongst the political ranks of the country. Encouragingly, it displays all the required ingredients, in order to initiate the desperately needed change. It stands out as the leading hope for taking the right and daring steps in order to begin the journey towards a prosperous and developed country. But will it get the sufficient mandate to form the government, through the much needed - relatively, or in retrospect - free, fair and transparent elections?
The pattern of politics prevalent throughout the country, or at least in many parts of it, is based upon individual constituencies, where families dominate the electorate. Their worth isn't based on their abilities, or their deliverance, but is based on the power that they "yield" by virtue of owning a piece of land - feudalism! This very phenomenon has been one of the major catalysts in the poor standards of governance. Since these families nominate the candidates in these particular constituencies, they directly, or indirectly, shape the politics of the region and the province. In turn affecting the policy making procedures of the political parties that they represent, decreasing the party's worth in the actual sense - the actual capabilities of the party to be of major benefit to the system, or to the nation. Hence, the worrisome factor of the constituency-based politics!
Other complcations of note that act as a huge impediment in bringing about meritocracy through the electoral process, is the ever notorious electoral process itself! Rampant rigging has been the norm unfortunately in this republic of ours, with pre-poll rigging being quite prominent. Pre-poll in the form of the incumbents brazenly using state resources and machinery for campaigning, or advancing their chances of re-election, drastically! Common forms of rigging in the past, in Pakistan, have been through the registration of bogus votes via the Election Commission, and also through practically entering fake votes in polling stations, during or after the polling process - while the counting of votes. Obviously, such a practice, or malpractice, comes about due to the negligence, or the corruption, of the Election Commission staff too. Intimidation is another way of rigging. Voters intimidated by virtue of various means of pressure - violent means in many cases - are forced to cast their vote in favor of the suppressor!
With a new, and independent, Chief Election Commissioner now, chances of a dramatic decrease in all forms of rigging seem quite likely. Though there are still some major obstacles to overcome in this regard! One of them is the disqualification of the constitutionally ineligible candidates, fielded by the respective political parties. The constitution clearly lays out the framework to go about eliminating the fraudulent candidates, who file their nominations. Another major task for the Election Commission to carry out, in order to ensure fair polls, is the 'voter-verification' process! This is particularly quite challenging in a megalopolis like Karachi, due to obvious reasons. The notorious rule of different mafias, throughout the city, poses great challenges, to name one amongst many. But with the Supreme Court directing the Army to assist in this process, one seriously hopes of success, at least in relative terms!
Another daunting challenge facing the country, for the necessary process of change to begin, is the formation of a neutral caretaker government. The sitting government, obviously, will carry the onus in this regard! According to the constitution, the opposition leader in the current parliament, or the National Assembly, is the other player - formation of the caretaker setup. A lot is at stake, and all the stakeholders will be watching closely, in order to pounce on any chicanery that might come about. Which historically is very likely!
As already intimated, the Supreme Court is one institution that displays many signs of being a key player in this complicated and highly challenging process of genuine change, with initially ensuring sanity to prevail prior to the general elections. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or 'PTI', has risen dramatically amongst the political ranks of the country. Encouragingly, it displays all the required ingredients, in order to initiate the desperately needed change. It stands out as the leading hope for taking the right and daring steps in order to begin the journey towards a prosperous and developed country. But will it get the sufficient mandate to form the government, through the much needed - relatively, or in retrospect - free, fair and transparent elections?
