Not good for the elections

A level playing field missing

General Elections 2013 have so far been highly marred with violence and we still have more than a week to go. Things have not been peaceful for certain parties more than the others, putting those parties at a disadvantage. Violence, however we look at it, has become the biggest factor in these elections but the good news, if it can be considered one, is that the ECP has decided to step up its efforts on maintaining peace and conduct elections in an environment sans violence, a good decision though late a bit, one may say.

Acts of terror continue to incur a heavy toll upon the leaders of various parties and political workers alike. As many as four incidents of terrorism the other day brought the total casualties to over 60 in the last three weeks. The caretaker setup, law enforcement agencies and the ECP, considering the resources they have had at their disposal, haven’t done much bad. They have in fact performed quite well, but these terror attacks are a threat to the elections in more than just a delaying factor. They may force certain parties to refrain from managing their electoral campaigns, like what happened with the PP, MQM and ANP; they may also force the electorate not to come out of the safety of their homes and thus not participate in an exercise that is so much needed to overhaul the country’s defunct ideologies; and most of all it may result in delaying the elections, and even if they are held on time, they would be quite useless as an election held at gun point is nothing short of dictatorship, something the country can hardly afford anymore.

Now the good news: the ECP is determined to go ahead with the elections, and to chip in in its efforts, the interior ministry has put the national crisis management cell at the ECP’s disposal. The ECP has also finalised the security plan for the May 11, and just like maintaining law and order can’t be the sole responsibility of the ECP in the run up to the elections, it has be a joint effort if anyone realistically wants to see it succeed.

Even with all this, one still finds it difficult to stomach that the conditions in the country are not suitable for certain parties, to be precise centre-left parties: the PPP, ANP and MQM. The terrorists have forced them not to conduct their electoral campaigns, thus putting them at a disadvantage against the parties considered centre-right, right and religious, namely PML-N, JI, and JUI-F etc. Though one can’t blame ECP for being unable to provide a better law and order situation, it still remains a fact that a level playing field has not been provided to three of the main parties. Not good for the elections.