Daily Times Editorial May 12, 2013

A flawed but credible election The purpose of the consensus 18th Amendment was to provide an acceptable mechanism for a democratic transition. This was to be achieved by bringing in a consensus caretaker set up to conduct elections that would not fall prey to the usual allegations and accusations after most elections in Pakistan in the past that the elections had been stolen by rigging. The expectation also was that with the induction of an independent election commission, the past could be considered a closed chapter in a Pakistan firmly embarked on the path of consolidating a democratic system. Measured against these goals, and despite the fact that at the time of writing these lines the electoral contest’s final results are still a work-in-progress, the conclusion does not seem unreasonable that at least in certain respects, the elections do not meet the criteria of being free, fair and transparent, at least in part. The day of voting began with news from various constituencies that the exercise of their franchise by the electorate was subject to delays because of either the necessary ballot papers, etc, not having been delivered, or the polling staff being late. As a result, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was forced to extend the voting time from the original 8:00 am to 5:00 pm by 1-3 hours in the constituencies from which complaints in this regard were received. This in itself was a negative mark against the ECP for having failed to ensure that all the necessary arrangements were in place well in time all over the country, a formidable task certainly, but not beyond human ingenuity or management, particularly since the army had been inducted to help deliver the necessary electoral wherewithal to many parts of the country. As the polling progressed through the day, complaints from sundry constituencies started pouring in that various players had seized polling stations and were rigging the vote through their muscle. Such accusations and counter-accusations were freely traded between rival parties. In all these shenanigans, the fact that stood out glaringly was the absence or lack of remedial action by the much touted law enforcement forces deployed to prevent just such occurrences. The result was that in Sindh at least, three parties declared boycotts of differing gravity. Whereas MQM at the time of writing these lines had boycotted elections in one constituency in Karachi, the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) had announced a boycott of the elections in Karachi and Hyderabad, effectively a major chunk of the JI’s area of influence and ambition. The Sunni Ittehad Council too, for similar reasons, announced a boycott of the elections per se. Violence attended the events of the day, although perhaps not at the level or intensity expected by analysts. Bomb blasts did occur, casualties were reported (17 dead, according to latest reports), and even violent clashes between rival parties, but all these incidents (reasonably marginal, it must be stated) failed to halt the forward march of the democratic exercise. In the most troubled parts of the country, terrorist and other threats may have kept the voters away, but taking the country as a whole, and particularly Punjab, it seems such apprehensions were trumped by the enthusiasm and spirit permeating many voters, particularly the youth. With all its warts and flaws therefore, it could be argued that the elections were held credibly, if not always fairly, freely and transparently. There were in fact reports in the media that the ECP had (privately perhaps) conceded its failure to meet the standards of a fair, free and transparent election. The ideal is seldom achieved in life. The historic nature of the conjuncture through which Pakistan is passing has by now been accepted across the board. Democracy as a system seems to be striking deep roots amongst our people, as the big turnout in this election despite the terrorist threat indicates. People are yearning for change, a turn away from the troubles afflicting the country for long years. Pakistan stands poised on the cusp of a new chapter in its history. The results of this election, no matter who wins eventually, are a marker along the journey of departure from a troubled past the country seems well embarked upon.