Resorting to old tactics
President Musharraf has once again started using the ‘President’s Chamber’ in Parliament. Since his address to a joint session of Parliament in January 2004 where he had to face a resilient opposition, he had virtually cut himself off from the institution. Now after a long absence, he has decided to reacquaint himself with the parliamentarians. The question that comes to mind is: why now? Possibly this is an indicator that since the 2007 general elections are looming, the president has felt the need to begin campaigning for it in anticipation. Also, the recent meeting between Benazir and Nawaz may have disturbed the General. He appears to be trying to pre-empt the penchant of our political ‘seasonal birds’ that only languish till harvest time. Asserting that he has introduced the essence of democracy in Pakistan for the first time, Musharraf said that the tradition of dissolution of Assemblies has been put to rest. It is arguable, however, whether high principle or political convenience informs the present practice.
Musharraf’s statement that “polls will be on time” can be interpreted in many ways. There were speculations that snap polls might be on the cards, but in his meeting with senior Muslim League members, Musharraf ruled out that possibility and assured that the general elections would be held as per schedule. But he vehemently stressed that neither Benazir nor Nawaz would be allowed to return or participate in the coming elections. Musharraf also asked for more solidarity among the PML-Q. Since the MMA and the government’s relations turned sour, it does not seem likely that the new parliament would see the same kind of presence of the mullahs, deprived as they are likely to be of the ‘assistance’ of ‘invisible’ friends. Neither would the opposition (PML-N and PPPP) win if the polls are held on the lines of the 2002 elections. The likely winners would again be PML-Q; therefore, it needs a united front at all costs.
In a bid to lure more people to the ruling party, Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi has said that special rewards in the shape of development funds would be given to those union councils that enroll the maximum number of people in the PML (Q). And where would this money come from? Obviously from the treasury. One may ask: why is the public exchequer being used for ‘campaign’ purposes? There has already been pressure on Musharraf to hold ‘free and fair’ elections this time, but the tactics being used by the ruling party and the president himself bespeak another tale altogether. The first test of the ‘free and fair elections’ was the by-elections for a National Assembly seat for which polling was held on Tuesday in Hyderabad. The government failed the test since there has allegedly been extreme rigging and manipulation. PPP’s Nisar Khuhro went so far as to say that fateha should be offered on the floor of the Sindh Assembly for democracy as its funeral had been taken out in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Musharraf has promised a stable, democratic system, but many in the country would beg to differ if these general elections are manipulated in the manner of the presidential referendum, two local elections and one general election. The president must realise that rigging has diminishing returns. Such elections would only pose a serious threat in the face of two already turbulent regions, FATA and Balochistan. If non-transparent and manipulated polls continue, then God forbid the whole country could end up in an uproar and the only thing in store for Pakistan would be nothing but anarchy.
Musharraf’s statement that “polls will be on time” can be interpreted in many ways. There were speculations that snap polls might be on the cards, but in his meeting with senior Muslim League members, Musharraf ruled out that possibility and assured that the general elections would be held as per schedule. But he vehemently stressed that neither Benazir nor Nawaz would be allowed to return or participate in the coming elections. Musharraf also asked for more solidarity among the PML-Q. Since the MMA and the government’s relations turned sour, it does not seem likely that the new parliament would see the same kind of presence of the mullahs, deprived as they are likely to be of the ‘assistance’ of ‘invisible’ friends. Neither would the opposition (PML-N and PPPP) win if the polls are held on the lines of the 2002 elections. The likely winners would again be PML-Q; therefore, it needs a united front at all costs.
In a bid to lure more people to the ruling party, Punjab Chief Minister Ch Pervaiz Elahi has said that special rewards in the shape of development funds would be given to those union councils that enroll the maximum number of people in the PML (Q). And where would this money come from? Obviously from the treasury. One may ask: why is the public exchequer being used for ‘campaign’ purposes? There has already been pressure on Musharraf to hold ‘free and fair’ elections this time, but the tactics being used by the ruling party and the president himself bespeak another tale altogether. The first test of the ‘free and fair elections’ was the by-elections for a National Assembly seat for which polling was held on Tuesday in Hyderabad. The government failed the test since there has allegedly been extreme rigging and manipulation. PPP’s Nisar Khuhro went so far as to say that fateha should be offered on the floor of the Sindh Assembly for democracy as its funeral had been taken out in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Musharraf has promised a stable, democratic system, but many in the country would beg to differ if these general elections are manipulated in the manner of the presidential referendum, two local elections and one general election. The president must realise that rigging has diminishing returns. Such elections would only pose a serious threat in the face of two already turbulent regions, FATA and Balochistan. If non-transparent and manipulated polls continue, then God forbid the whole country could end up in an uproar and the only thing in store for Pakistan would be nothing but anarchy.
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