An election in any country where government of the people, by the people for the people is the key mechanism means new government with either status quo or revisionism. Both of these possible outcomes are dependent upon the choice of the people. One gets satisfied with the outcomes only when judiciary is independent and press and electronic media is free from any kind of restriction and censorship. Because the judicial authority controls and monitors the entire electoral process and press and electronic media acts as an observer observing all the regularities and irregularities in the polling procedure.
In Pakistan, election bring new government either with changes in the existing set up or maintaining the status quo .But it is not clear whose choice is this which is to prevail in deciding the aforementioned possibilities. Is this common man’s will which is to prevail or the will of those who control the voting process? However, far and free are called those elections in which people are given free hand in choosing their future representatives. And rigged are said to be those when people’s choice in one way or the other is restricted and controlled.
In order to remove the prospects of rigging in the feb-18 elections as is termed byJumat-i-islami’s Qazi Husain Ahmed a ‘fraud’ ,the government, one must note, shall have to ensure freedom of press and electronic media and independence of judiciary. Without which according to Imran and his colleagues of APDM, it is impossible to hold the polls fair and transparent. In the meanwhile, the lawyers’ movement is wavering and active which poses a threat to the impartiality of the present regime.
Musharraf at the backdrop of this juncture of time seems to be isolated as the new chief Ashfaq Kiyani during his meeting with American admiral Fallon showed his intentions of departing army from politics. The US admiral said that the new chief wanted the February 18 elections free.
Political parties, on the other hand, don’t see eye to eye with Musharraf and to which the fuel had been further added to the fire by Benazir’s assassination, which exacerbated countrywide violence and agitation against the president. The situation is so worse that all the main stream political parties are in opposition. Some of them have boycotted the upcoming polls. Political parties still have give some conciliatory concessions to Musharraf with out which the country, God forbids, may go into civil war. The region of terror and extremism prevails across the country. Energy crisis are the worst of their kinds. Unemployment, according to Asian development bank, is on record. Scarcity of the essential food items has become a headache for the common man. Image of the county, abroad, has been tarnished. International community and America is sarcastic about the Pakistan performance in Human rights and other related issues.
The public is fed up of these circumstances and want an end to the on going crisis. They want a change in status quo and are inclined to support the revisionists. It diminishes the chances of Musharraf’s success in getting the Q-league and its co-workers through the elections going to be held in the next few days. He has four options before him.
One possibility is that he invokes foreign help and allows the political parties to have their won way. As for as, the foreign help is concerned, American role is critically significant. He through American pressure persuades the political leaders to resort to rapprochement from stalemate. But voices, from Washington, are not clear. The reason is that election process is also going on there and there are serious concerns over Pak-American ties in American public opinion. The public opinion wants a review of the policy while some of the ruling elite promise continuation of military as well as economic aid. However, the picture will remain blurring till the new administration takes the charge and assumes a definite line of action towards Pakistan. It will be unwise of Musharraf to rely wholly upon American help, because things would have been decided in Pakistan till the results of the election in us.
Besides this, Musharraf can opt out supporting with every possible means at his disposal, the Q league MQM and other parties. It will, also, bear no fruit because these parties have lost the confidence of the people. The only way left to win the elections is to rig it. Exercising this option Musharraf will have to face serious consequences and the country may again go in to political turmoil.
The last option with Musharraf is that he allows impartially the political process, holds free and fair election as was done by Yahya khan in 1970 and prepares and exit strategy after taking into confidence the political parties. Political parties are willing to accept this option. Imran Khan has already called for a consensus to be developed among the political parties in order to provide an exit strategy and quite all those actions that blocks his ways in getting rid of current milieu.
The prevalent scenario shows that Musharraf is going not to hold free and fair elections.
The judiciary of pre November3 is under house arrest and members of the lawyers community has been put behind bars.
If is due to this reason that APDM decided to boycott the elections which according to member parties will be rigged in the absence of free judiciary and free media.
Their worries have been increased by the statement of Nisar A Memon who according to media reports has threatened to take actions like that of November 3.Albiet their claims, the caretaker government has failed to win over the opposition. Missing of the presenters as has been highlighted by the BBC two days before, shows that international media have also their faith in the present regime. The refusal of extension of visas to the IRI has raised concern in the US public opinion which may cause them vote for the anti-Pakistani lobby.
Elections if held with media under the shadow of these measures will be disastrous for the future of this country because the public will only trust the government claims and the results of the elections if these were held under the close vigilance of press and electronic media and observers from abroad. It is, therefore, necessary to restore the independence of judiciary and freedom of media in order to avoid any future violence and the country towards prosperity.
