Pakistan has never witnessed free and fair elections since its independence and even the general elections 2008, which paved the way for the incumbent government, were not completely transparent, said Sindh Information and Archives Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon.
He said this while addressing the participants at the launching ceremony of Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)’s project for supporting transparency, accountability and electoral process in Pakistan in collaboration with The Asia Foundation (TAF). “The elections are meant to empower masses eligible to cast votes to elect their representatives but influential groups infringe upon the rights of those individuals. Pre- and post-election rigging has always been carried out by elements having particular mindset to suppress the popularity of genuine contestants,” Memon said.
Memon said it has been a longstanding demand that free and fair elections should be held in the country. Sharing his experiences, he described the various ways of rigging in elections. “Our opponents had changed the location of polling stations in Tharparkar and Nangarparkar at the last moment to far-flung areas. The people could not reach the polling stations on time to cast their votes and our opponent was declared successful.
“We faced many cases even and I did not even get my solvency certificate for participating in the elections due to the influence of the dictator of that time,” added Memon. The information minister said that people wish to cast their votes independently and freely, and the government has taken notice of the situation and will introduce a biometric system, so that every person can cast his vote from anywhere. “Transparency will be ensured at any cost,” he added.
Sindh Katchi Abadis and Spatial Development Minister Rafiq Engineer said ‘fair’ election commission in Pakistan did not exist, hampering the smooth running of democracy. He lamented that many amendments were made in the constitution including Article 58-2B to block the way for democratic governments. The elected representatives who raise public issues on point of orders in the assembly are not legally entitled to do so. Rules and procedures of the assembly do not allow raising irrelevant issues on PO that is not a constitutional requirement.
“The present government is taking various steps to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process and has played an important role to pave the way for an independent election commission,” said Rafique. “It was due to rigging in election that East Pakistan was lost, as dictators in the past had formed their preferred governments through desired polling schemes and also got results,” said Rafique.
The present government, through legislation and maximum public participation, is taking concrete and positive steps to protect the voters and polling staff, and get the desired results at polling stations. Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto desired that no one could change the election results after polling. Everyone is talking about commissionerate system, but even in Britain and in other countries, elections are held through the collectorate system to ensure transparency in the electoral process.
Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo opined that the electoral process in Pakistan had not ever been good, as the country was ruled by military dictators since emerging in the world map. Sindh Culture Minister Sassui Palijo also shared her views about the election process of 2008 and the legislation in Sindh Assembly with the participants of the group discussion.
She said that various dictators had ruled the country and picked their own people in the parliament through manipulating the results. “We fought the elections as well as taking the dead bodies of our loved ones on our shoulders. We had to face bitter enmities in our constituencies during the electioneering process but the Pakistan People’s Party will never do the same with its opponents due to the reconciliation policy initiated by Benazir and President Asif Ali Zardari.”
It is the State’s responsibility of protecting lives and property of the citizens especially voters and polling agents during the election process, she added. Welcoming the organisations’ initiative of monitoring National Assembly’s 72 constituencies, Palijo said that they should also come forward to monitor the situation in the provinces, especially Sindh, which would be appreciated.
“Dictators remained in power for 10 years but the democratic governments, after every three years, have to listens to calls for new elections. The present government is taking various reformatory steps to ensure peace and transparency in the election process. Our political history is full of political victimisation, jails and whips but now the people should be given a free hand to cast their votes independently and elect their representatives freely,” she added.
FAFEN executive member Sadiqa Salahuddin, Yusuf Bandhani of Banh Beli, Lala Hassan Pathan of Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), SAFHR Programme Manager Hina Tabassum, Athar Ali Khan Zahid Farooq and others also spoke on the occasion and participated in the group discussion. PPF Training Coordinator Lala Hassan, in his presentation, said that PPF in collaboration with FAFEN has started observing the processes at Sindh Assembly to support democratic system and accountability.
He said the programme will promote good governance, responsiveness, transparency, effectiveness and people’s participation. Salahuddin and Tabassum were of the view that the programme is supported by Department for International Development, UK and Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. “FAFEN will expand the scope of its existing work to 200 National Assembly constituencies in 120 districts across Pakistan, including 50 constituencies in all districts of Sindh,” they said.
The programme aims at developing and facilitating constructive linkages between citizens and elected, public and political representatives and institutions in all 200 constituencies nationwide. The programme’s purpose will remain the achievement of democratic processes that are open, inclusive, efficient and accountable to citizens of Pakistan.
