- Politicians should shift from pressure to persuasion mode
With PPP withholding its reservations on the provisional Census Report, the Senate has finally passed the Delimitation of Constituencies Bill. This removes the only hurdle which could have blocked timely elections. The rumour mills are left with little grist after the COAS made it clear that the army stood by democracy and he considered presidential system unsuitable for the country. Further that the army will carry out decisions taken by the Parliament. Thus the national government is no more than a pipe dream like the much talked about government of technocrats.
The delimitation of constituencies is reportedly already being conducted by the Election Commission (EC) on the presumption that the bill cleared by the National Assembly was finally going to be approved by the Senate. Consequently the EC will have smooth sailing now. One expects the present EC to put up a better performance than was witnessed in 2013 elections. It should be wiser after receiving inputs from the electoral reforms committee. A judicial Commission which probed complaints about 2013 elections also pointed out a number of weaknesses and shortcomings in the electoral system. The complaints regarding candidates spending huge mounts on campaigns, thus queering the pitch for the middle class contestants, need to be redressed in the upcoming polls. Unless the EC takes a firm stand on lowering election expenses the perception that legislative bodies have turned into millionaires’ clubs would continue to persist taking away much of the sheen from democracy.
It is presumed that the EC would be ready to hold the elections by the end of July or early August. It is time political parties put an end to protest marches and sit-ins and instead concentrate on preparing well thought out, realistic and forward looking election manifestos. Attempts should be made by the mainstream parties to reach a consensus on long gestation socio-economic policies and outstanding issues like population control so that these continue to be implemented irrespective of which one of them is in power.
