And there are more in the pipeline
Some of the perennial complaints regarding the flaws in the electoral system were resolved through the enactment of 19th and 20th amendments. Others are currently under process. There has rarely been an election in Pakistan after 1970 without widespread complaints of rigging by the arbitrarily appointed caretaker setup. The two amendments led to the creation of an independent election commission for the first time. Similarly they also paved way for the induction of a neutral caretaker set up acceptable to both the government and the opposition. Fresh electoral rolls based on CNICs were prepared. The checking of the voters’ list in Karachi which is under process is likely to be completed by next month. The CEC has meanwhile stated that the task of the delimitation of constituencies in the city can only be undertaken after the elections. This has made a number of political parties very unhappy and they are currently protesting against it.
Another common complaint was the use of money and muscle power by the rural and urban elite. Huge election expenditure posed difficulties for the middle class which is the backbone of the system in democracies to secure due representation in the assemblies. Disposing of a petition by a number of left and nationalist parties, the SC had directed the EC to take measures to bring down the election expenses. This had led the Commission to put a new ceiling on the election expenditure for individual candidates. The Commission has so far finished only the easier part of its task. The test would lie in implementing the new ceiling. Election irregularities tend to reduce the confidence of the common man in the system leading to a low turnout. Only the percentage of the votes cast at the next polls would show whether the situation has improved.
Meanwhile the EC has drafted additional election rules to make the system more representative and credible. The proposals are being sent to the law department for vetting. It is often complained that the first-past-the-post system of voting allows candidates who get elected even with a small percentage of the votes cast. A provision for clear majority has been proposed requiring at least 50 per cent votes for the winner. Anyone getting less would have to take part in the runoff elections. To stop malpractices the amount of fines too has been increased.
A really independent EC is likely to irk both the government and the opposition. This has indeed started happening. The PML-Q which lost the byelections in Punjab badly has raised questions about the neutrality of the commission without approaching the Commission with solid proof. As time passes, the parties will hopefully get used to an independent EC. While the Commission pursues its recommendations, it must ensure that there is no delay in elections.
