Election Quagmire

“God has given us a grand opportunity to show our worth as architects of a new State; let it not be said that we did not prove equal to the task.” Quaid’s address to Civil, Military, and Air Force Officers, 11 October 1947.

Seventy-seven years on, as we move towards the 08 February 2024 elections, we all need to ask ourselves how we have fared in the task of state building, particularly in establishing a strong democratic base, an essential requirement for erecting the edifice of a strong and vibrant society and good governance. I am afraid our score is below average, to say the least.

Political awareness and democratic values are in the ethos of the people of Pakistan, and they yearn for a credible and enduring system that actually represents the desire of the teeming 250 million people of this land of the pure for good governance. Despite this and an array of political parties of all hues and sizes, all elections held in Pakistan since its creation have been controversial, including the most free and fair election of 1970.

All elections, from general elections to the election of the president and other senior constitutional positions, have been accused of being unfair, rigged, or engineered. It is, in fact, a mockery of not just the losing parties that raise questions on the transparency of the election process and results; even the winning party is not satisfied with the outcome. Each election has brought with itself a new set of problems and controversies, making us perhaps the only country where, in the last 77 years, no elected prime minister has ever completed its full five-year term. Each short democratic intermission has been followed by at least a decade of military rule, maligning and degrading the political dispensations and developing anti-civilian rule narratives.

Today, when we look at the political landscape of Pakistan, we see a scarred and discoloured panorama where not only have the politicians lost credibility but also, sadly, the military’s record of governance and intentions for the future are being questioned. People are wondering who to trust and turn to extricate themselves from the quagmire of socio-economic disaster that we face today. Unfortunately, there are no clear and credible answers. As the general elections approach, the air is once again full of expectations and uncertainty mixed with fear of election engineering amidst increasing political polarization, uncertain economic future, politicized and compromised institutions, rising poverty, prowling food insecurity, and imminent fear of further climate change damages. Not to forget the anxiety over the ever-rising resurgence of terrorism, mainly perpetrated by TTP and other disgruntled elements encouraged by our detractors in our neighbourhood in particular.

Elections and other political processes are pivotal to a country’s governance quality. Elections can either significantly advance or set back a country’s long-term democratic development and foreign policy priorities. The most fundamental principle defining credible polls is that they must reflect the free expression of the people’s will. Without free, fair, and secure elections, voters have no voice, little control over the country’s direction, and few ways to correct course when things go awry. Holding elections and ensuring that power changes hands by their outcomes is the essence of democratic self-government. By defending the integrity of elections, we also protect our rights and our system of government.

However, “Free and fair” has become the catchphrase in Pakistan. It exemplifies what Giovanni Sartori once called “conceptual stretching”: “The wider the world under investigation, the more we need conceptual tools that are able to travel.” But what actually constitutes a “free and fair” election? Does the phrase mean only that the election was “acceptable” and acceptable to whom? Or does it imply something more?