Sir: It is admirable that the 2018 elections were held on time. As expected, the election campaign was intense and created bitterness between the contenders and their supports. It is also true that the results disappointed many political parties, who alleged rigging in the elections and refused to accept them as free and fair.
Some of them are threatening to launch a protest movement against the alleged rigging; some are calling for new elections and urging newly elected members of the assemblies not to take oath. However, some political quarters, in spite of their serious reservations against the results, are in favor of taking oath and becoming part of the parliamentary process. I think that the latter course of action is likely to strengthen the fragile democratic process in the country and will help us avoid a national political crisis. If the political goal is the supremacy of the civilian government, active participation in Parliament by elected representatives will help these parties achieve it, not the political crisis which is likely to strengthen anti-democratic attitudes and weaken the parliament in the country.
The simple sermon will not work; it will not satisfy the aggrieved political parties and their candidates who are approaching the constitutional institutions for their complaints. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and Courts must rise to the challenge.
They must promptly and fairly dispose of the complaints and grievances of the candidates; any delay in redressal of these grievances will deepen their distrust in these institutions and will unnecessarily shift the blame toward the new government. In the past, these institutions have failed in the prompt and fair redressal of such complaints. The repeat performance of these institutions in disposing of the latest complaints will further erode their credibility and widen rather than bridge the divide between the opposition political parties and the new government.
The legal course of action which is not only fair and prompt in theory but is also seen to be so in practice will help us avoid the impending political crisis — something which will hardly serve the interest of this nation.
DR MUHAMMAD ISLAM
Via E-Mail
Published in Daily Times, July 30th 2018.
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