Albeit imperfectly
It isn’t an election, really, in our neck of the woods without there being rowdiness, an untoward incident or two and some clear violation of the code of election ethics. It’s what assures us the fight was well-fought. “Uneventful” polling activity can’t quite muster respect and acceptability by the masses; perhaps it is this very reason that the referenda by military dictators and the stratospheric majorities won by the party in Karachi are always chuckled at. If it’s all quiet, you know some engineering has taken place.
But by no means should inappropriate behaviour during elections be pardoned. Consider: the aerial firing by the supporters of the successful ANP candidate in Mardan. An election campaign is hard work and there is much emotional investment. Winning might feel good but this victory claimed the life of two innocent people. Equal, nay, greater condemnation for the defeated JUI(F) candidate whose militant supporters were doing the rounds before and during the election, no doubt intimidating voters.
Consider also the PPP’s Waheeda Shah, who managed to secure a berth in the Sindh Assembly. Her slapfest at a polling station caught on the airwaves and refused to die out. Whereas the direct election of a woman to a chamber of legislature is always a reassuring sight in the country, it doesn’t give them a carte blanch.
All in all, however, no major incidents of violence – the term major incident acquires a different meaning in our tumultuous republic. That most successful candidates belonged to the party of the concerned provincial government, also might be indicative of a number of things. That the coming polls’ results won’t be much different versus the argument that by-elections can never be an index for proper general elections.
To segue into the general polls, the 20th amendment is going to give people lesser grounds to contest election results. The setting up of an independent election commission will serve to lend the polls much credibility.