HRCP urges politicians to focus on real issues now that the elections are over
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Monday urged the political parties who contested Sunday’s by-elections to step back from the ‘rough campaigning’ to ensure that politics returned to the real issues of the people.
It also called for urgent efforts for meaningful election reform.
“HRCP welcomes the fact that the by-elections on Sunday were generally peaceful despite some apprehension to the contrary,” the Commission said in its statement. “With regard to any electoral contest, HRCP welcomes any result so long as it promotes the democratic process,” the statement continued, “but we must point out that the holding of the entire exercise at gunpoint and under military supervision is not in accordance with the democratic principles.”
The Commission pointed to several other elements that ‘offered little to cheer for democracy’ including the fact that the election was ‘very, very expensive’, even after making allowances that the by-election in NA-122 was a matter of prestige for both the PTI and the PML-N. Many people would hesitate to brand as democratic an election where so much money was spent, the Commission said, adding that it had reinforced the trend that only the rich could afford to contest.
“In the by-election in Lahore in particular, both parties indulged in rough campaigning and demonstrated an utter lack of tolerance for the opponent, concentrating on ridicule, slander and personal attacks,” HRCP said adding that people had far important issues than clashes of inflated egos and ear-splitting indulgence in self-righteousness. The rights body reminded that elections are supposed to be occasions to advance people’s understanding of democracy and its relevance to their issues. Yet little attention was paid to governance and other issues of significance.
“There would be a winner and a runner up in any election, but making the polls such an absolute zero-sum game would serve neither. The victory in Sunday’s by-elections can be called a Pyrrhic one,” the statement said.
But, due credit must be given to the PTI for making this a very close contest, it said.
“Election results are normally a wake-up call for every responsive organisation to review its performance. There are many lessons in Sunday’s by-elections that must be learned, not just by the opposition, but also the government,” the statement said, adding that the election result must not go to the victor’s head, who should remember that a substantial number of people voted against it and many more chose to not vote at all.
“The onus is now on all political politics to ensure that politics returns to issues, and ways are found to persuade people that the democratic dispensation holds answers to all the challenges they face,” HRCP said.
HRCP implored all political parties to urgently collaborate to introduce election reform and strengthen civilian mechanisms and institutions for managing the elections. The Commission warned political forces that delaying the move towards reform any further would only make substantial changes and consensus more difficult to achieve.
