Local Government elections

PML-N, PPP join to evade democracy at grassroots

The Charter of Democracy Article 29 clearly states: the “local bodies elections will be held within three months of the holding of general elections.” Both the PPP and PML-N ruled for five years, one at the centre and Sindh, and the other in the Punjab. Neither held these elections during their tenure. After the 2013 elections, the PML-N controls the centre and the Punjab and the PPP holds sway in Sindh. One had hoped that this time the two leading parties would keep the promise by completing the exercise required under the constitution at the earliest. No such luck, though. Despite pressure exerted by the Supreme Court, both the parties continue to employ delaying tactics. In the case of the cantonment boards no local government elections have been held for the last 14 years. Early this month the ECP and the ministry of defence were reported to have reached a consensus on polls in the cantonments on November 3. On Tuesday the federal government went back on its commitment seeking more time for the exercise.

It is not only the PPP and the PML-N that went back on its promises to hold local government polls after coming to power. The PTI has acted similarly. While it took the other parties two years to forget the promise, the PTI was overtaken by amnesia within months. Addressing a press conference in Lahore on April 4 this year, Imran Khan made a firm commitment “to hold local government elections in 90 days after coming into power”. On Tuesday the SC expressed unhappiness with the KP government for its failure to give a specific date for the elections despite having earlier given an undertaking to hold them at whatever date the court decided.

This leads one to ponder over two related questions. Why are military rulers keen on holding local government elections and why do political parties lose their erstwhile enthusiasm for them after coming to power? Military rulers are by no means fond of grassroots democracy. After banning or splitting the political parties opposed to the military rule, the dictators are in dire need of raising a nursery of politicians loyal to them through local bodies. The political parties on the other hand look at the local bodies as a parallel centre of power that diminishes their authority. The MNAs and MPAs are averse to handing over development funds to the local governments as this reduces their clout. The chief ministers are keen to keep development funds with them to spend them on the schemes that suit them. The parties are also apprehensive of divisions within their legislators over support to district nazims or mayors. Political parties have to learn that MNAs and MPAs are elected to make laws while the local governments have to undertake development in their particular areas.