In ancient Greece (approximately 508 BC), Greece had a Negative Election. Every year voters who were male landowners used to vote out unacceptable candidates. Any candidate securing more than 6000 votes would qualify to be exiled for ten years. These electoral processes remained subject to a constant evolution leading to modern democracy in most of the contemporary world.
This consistent evolution of democracy witnessed an erratic and inconsistent democratic practice across the globe and thus remained devoid of an ideal and standard template to be followed. Peculiar social, economic, religious, geographical and various other factors shape the contours of a democratic system a nation-state is to follow. These varying influences have an acute impact on the democratic values of a society leading to the quality of the democratic process. Most third-world countries grapple with numerous challenges in emulating Western democracies considered to be role models for the rest of the world.
These countries have been encountering authoritarian and monarchical regimes with less or almost no susceptibility to the ideal democratic system of governance. Ironically, successive regimes did not endeavour to introduce prerequisites essential for fostering a democratic society. Resultantly, the people of these countries accepted whatever form of democracy was enforced in these societies. Like other developing countries, Pakistan is no exception to this phenomenon and remains confronted with an inconsistent democratic culture myriad of peculiar flaws. Perpetual military interventions, low literacy rates, and myopic and self-centred political visions have contributed to whatever democracy we have today.
Pakistan, with its commitment to core democratic values, can overcome existing challenges to emerge as a nation with strong democratic institutions.
With consistent endeavours, a lot is to be achieved and by no means we should embrace cynicism while comparing ourselves with contemporary political systems. Manipulative electoral process cannot be condoned but at the same time, these snags may not serve as impediments in bringing about a close to ideal political future of our country. Even the most developed democracies have gone through the challenges in which we are going through now. Pakistani nation with its commitment to core democratic values can overcome existing challenges to emerge as a nation with strong democratic institutions and leadership.
Throughout Pakistan’s democratic history, the idea of free and fair elections has frequently appeared as an unattainable ideal. The democratic process has been tarnished by claims of manipulation and meddling, casting doubt on the validity of election results time and time again. Such doubts don’t only surface during one election cycle; they recur year after year, threatening Pakistan’s democratic hopes.
The elections were open to international scrutiny, with over 100 foreign observers-including 82 foreign media journalists who were granted visas-and an additional 174 foreign media journalists resident in Pakistan participating in the observation operations. The 25-member Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) noted the large voter turnout as evidence of the public’s faith in the democratic process while actively monitoring the polls and expressing satisfaction with their conduct. Transparency was further strengthened by the deployment of approximately 5,600 observers across the country by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). The wide range of observers from countries including Uzbekistan, Japan, and Russia represented the world communities and demonstrated the international community’s dedication to participating in and guaranteeing openness in Pakistan’s electoral process.
These electoral processes, however, followed a traditional approach of declaring them rigged by political forces emerging as opposition with losing their constituencies. Albeit, the formation of the government process has been completed at the federal and provincial levels. These elections of 2024 are unique in the way that governments formed as a result of these processes encountered unprecedented challenges of not only their political existence but the country’s confronted with equal challenges of political instability and economic turbulence.
These challenges warrant a unison and whole national approach to steer the country to a politically and economically viable model. We cannot afford perpetual bickering as it will be detrimental to the well-being of Pakistani people struggling for a better future for the last 76 years of our existence.
We as a nation learn to move on leaving behind scars of our political animosities and myopic political interests. Our country has abundant potential with an extremely vibrant human resource. There is a need to tap these potentials with a selfless commitment and national unity and resolve. Our challenges ahead are much bigger than our bested political interests and any laxity will cast our country dearly with unbearable consequences. Let’s stand to the norms of a great and resilient nation to surmount our woes with dignity, unity and selflessness.
The writer frequently contributes to national and regional issues. She can be reached at: omayaimen333@gmail.com