Moving towards the storm centre
The by-elections held in nine constituencies should give the EC a forewarning of what lies ahead. While on the whole the exercise was conducted satisfactorily, there were also loopholes that need to be removed. There were reports of aerial firing in a couple of constituencies. Despite this being of a celebratory type, any display of weapons has to be stopped with the strongest action under the law.
The Fair and Free Elections Network (FAFEN) has reported violations of the code of conduct. Also of pressure exerted by police and district government officials inside the polling stations. According to the FAFEN report, the presence of police influenced at least 638 of 746 (85 percent) polling stations in by-elections in Punjab. If true, this is a serious matter which needs to be thoroughly probed and lessons drawn for the future. The CEC is widely respected for his integrity, courage and commitment to democracy. While these are among the basic requirements of an independent EC, they are by no means sufficient. Equally important is the ability to get the rules and regulations firmly implemented. Last month, the EC sought the authority to transfer or suspend the chief secretary, inspector general and other higher officers. Government officials have been used in the past to influence the elections. Same goes for the administrative heads of police, revenue, irrigation, etc at the districts and their officials down the line. The polling staff drawn from a variety of departments would rather abide by the directions of their superiors who write their confidential reports than listen to a temporary boss in the form of the election officer. In rural areas, they are also open to bribery or coercion by the local elite. The government would do well to concede the EC’s demand to enable it to stop the misuse of the government machinery.
Karachi, where the EC has undertaken to conduct house to house verification of voters’ lists, is likely to cause problems. In fact it already has started to. As the defective voters’ lists which left out reportedly about three million voters were prepared under the present provincial election commissioner, demands have been made by the PML-N, PTI and JI for his removal. It remains to be seen how the commission resolves the issue.
Holding transparent general elections is highly vital for the health of the system. Only a government seen to be elected fairly can enjoy prestige. A genuinely elected government would not only be able to strengthen the institutions, but also keep them within their constitutional limits. To conduct elections widely seen to be fair and free poses a challenge to the EC.