Ground realities unmask political parties’ machinations
With 84,420 candidates vying for 41,762 seats, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local government polls will test the mettle of provincial government, political parties and the Election Commission of Pakistan. The PTI government will have to ensure that there are no major law and order related incidents. This is a somewhat tall order because even in normal circumstances bloodiest fights take place during the local government polls in all the provinces. And these are by no means normal times, particularly in a province bordering terrorism infected tribal agencies.
There are two rival electoral alliances in the province, the PTI-JI-AJI combine and the ANP-PPP-JUI-F alliance, both contesting under two different electoral symbols. It is a reflection on the organisational discipline of these parties that in a number of local constituencies their candidates have formed alliances that suit them in violation of the parties’ directives. This has led to queer alliances. Coalition partners Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Jamat-e-Islami are flexing muscles against each other in a number of districts by joining hands with whichever party suits them in each particular constituency. This is the case with opposition parties also.
Will the women again be debarred from voting in certain areas? In the Lower Dir bye-elections early this month, not even one out of the 47,280 women registered voters came to exercise her right at any of the 85 polling stations. In 2013 all political parties contesting election in the constituency had signed a pact not to allow the women to vote. This time the women voters were debarred through verbal understanding. Those indulging in the malpractice included parties which had women National Assembly members and Senators. That the parties which mobilise women, bring them to public gatherings, motivate them for street protests and nominate them on reserved seats should stop them from casting votes in certain constituencies, brings them no credit. Will the ECP motivate the women to exercise their right in these constituencies? Will it take action against those preventing women from voting?
