Daily Times

The second highest voter turnout at 55 percent in Pakistan’s history. It will be an understatement to say that the election run up was overwrought and bloodied. For those under threat it was not about political choice. Rather, it seemed as if the choice was who was going to remain alive.

Some candidates and parties were targeted while others went campaigning scot-free. I am not suggesting that candidates should have been gunned down but I wonder on what basis the Taliban select who to target. However, let me not go off on a tangent here. I promised myself that I would just write about some potentially positive developments. I say potential, please. The jury is still out whether it would have an impact.

Let me first share a few of my conclusions. The foremost: most of Pakistan voted. The 55 percent turnout is evidence of that. Most of us voted in a comparatively free atmosphere. For this category of voters, it was an emotional day. Democracy appeared to have emerged from a seed to a sapling. The sweet and sour fact that all of us savoured was that for the first time responsibility was being transferred from one democratically elected government to another. I observed that the election was held in an atmosphere of fanfare. It was almost a liberating (for want of a better word) sight, where people from all sections of society and from every age group had turned up on polling day. The result has been representatives that have been elected through a democratic course by the will of the people. Some parties were routed while some emerged as formidable political contenders in the new paradigm.

Elections 2013 were, of course, one of the most televised elections. What effect did this factor have on the degree of transparency is best left for political scientists to dissect threadbare. I can only cite the following as an example. On May 11, 2013, NA-250 voters in a polling station at a DHA school in Lahore were shown all day whiling away time in the sun as polling had not started in the absence of staff. I received a number of tweets that urged the TV channels to show the MQM goons barring entry to the polling staff at the gate. Alas, the TV channels were quick to zoom in on the voters inside the polling station but not on the drama unfolding at the gates.

What is positive is that citizens have taken action and protested. Re-polling was done on May 19, but something even more significant occurred. I think the pre-election ‘anghoota chalao’ (use the thumb) message on TV has now evolved to ‘Anghoota tasdeeq karo’ (verify the thumb impression). The recent development of NADRA being brought in to verify voters thumb impressions is extremely positive.

The process is easier said than done, as according to rules and regulations the aggrieved candidate can approach the election tribunal within 45 days, after the issuance of the official gazette notification of winning candidates. The tribunal will decide on the petitions within four months and will also choose to order the voter verification process. It is also being pointed out that there is no provision in the electoral laws to verify voters through thumb impressions. Another spanner in the works seems to be the fee of Rs 10 per voter verification, which will be charged to the candidate demanding redress. The charging of the fees by NADRA and ECP has not been welcomed by the political circles. Nonetheless, at least the citizens, political parties and candidates now have an avenue open, through which the transparency of the elections could be established. It is at a high price but the voters have been awarded a facility that can eliminate their concerns. This is another step towards establishing a sustainable democratic system, where the sanctity and sovereignty of the votes cast by the citizens is not compromised. Through the introduction of this system and its proper integration in future elections, it can be safely stated that the issue of rigging can be mitigated to a large extent, if not entirely eliminated.

The democratic process in Pakistan seems to have a bright future, as from citizens to the political parties to the very institutions at the highest level, everyone is working towards making the electoral process transparent and secure. Perhaps the very effort that is in place is enough to prove that Pakistan can no longer stand self-proclaimed saviours and extra-constitutional measures; rather, the citizens want this process to succeed and want their participation in running the affairs of the country. They might not be satisfied with the performance of the previous government, but they understand that the only salvation lies in their votes to elect the right people as their representatives and do away with those who do not perform according to expectations. There have been protests in the past over election rigging but this time there is a clear difference. The demand put in by the protestors is for making the process more fair and free, instead of outright toppling a government. They want the public institutions to function and hold the people who did not play by the book responsible.

Let us bid the days of emergency proclamations farewell and welcome a future where no single person has absolute power, where no rule or decision is implemented without the consent of the people and where the public institutions truly carry out their responsibilities keeping public interest as their main concern. The people have given their mandate and no section has any right to disregard that. The effort has to be made towards removing the negative aspects that are still influencing the electoral process. This will not only reinforce the faith of the citizens in the democratic system, but will also strengthen their resolve to actively participate in the governance of the country.

The writer is a development consultant. She tweets at @GulminaBilal and can be reached at coordinator@individualland.com