Pakistan Visionary Forum (PVF) finalised a report for introducing a new electoral system in Pakistan comprising reforms and recommendations for improvement in the governing machinery of the country on Tuesday. The report has been prepared by PVF Electoral System Committee Head Dr Muhammad Sadiq and complemented by former minister Qayyum Nizami. Opinions from experts and experienced politicians including former national assembly speaker Syed Fakhar Imam were obtained as well.
The report points out weaknesses of the present electoral system including low voter turnout, only 15% to 20% votes cast to the winning party, dictation by smaller regional parties to the ruling party as a coalition partner, non-representation of 60% to 65% non-voting educated class of the society, vested interests of smaller parties, defensive position of the larger provinces as compared to the smaller provinces on the national policy-making front and domination of regionalism instead of nationalism.
The report also contains recommendations such as 50% of the national and provincial assembly seats to be filled under the prevailing First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system and the remaining 50% on the basis of Proportional Representation (PR) system. For this purpose all voters will be required to exercise their second vote for the unchangeable fixed lists of the candidates submitted in advance by various political parties.
The party list must include educated and credible men and women from lower and middle classes of the society or technocrats. Every political party at national level should be required to obtain minimum 5% of the total votes cast and 3% in case of provincial elections. Only the political party that gets more than 5% of votes in the national assembly elections should be entitled to the seats allotted against the PR system.
These recommendations have been framed with the objective of encouraging conciliation and discouraging polarization in turbulent Pakistani society. The appointment of chief election commissioner and Pakistan election commission members should be through consultation amongst the prime minister, opposition leader and chief justice of Pakistan. PVF report also mentions recommendations regarding political parties’ conduct, evolvement of high technology for improved efficiency, integrity and suitability of the elected representatives as well as a modus operandi for developing candidate lists.
