Daily Times

There we go around the electoral reforms once again! The federal cabinet is holding its ground on the absolute need for free and fair elections. Treasury benches are determined to restart the debate with or without the opposition parties. Going by the PM’s strong preference for Electronic Voting Machines, the next general race can be expected to be automated with the inclusion of overseas Pakistanis. A perfectly reasonable initiative given our long-winded sob story of every major election, ending in a heated war of accusations. The most recent NA-249 debacle emboldened the disputed roots of our relatively feeble democracy. After all, haven’t we had enough of this chase against missing electoral staff, gerrymandering, hijacked ballot boxes and brazen violence? The last few exercises of the public right to vote have, unfortunately, seen the reincarnation of the cheesiest of B-grade films. Amid such a sordid state of affairs, the whole house would be expected to stick together to ensure a credible electoral process as the foundation of a democracy that clicks with all of Pakistan. Isn’t the lack of transparency in polls a rare issue wherein every political party has a bone to pick?

Yet, in lieu of showing bipartisanship, the opposition members are sticking to their usual “government-cant-do-right” mantra. Not ready to show either flexibility or confidence in Islamabad, those sitting on the opposition benches would be a hard nut to deal with. Already, the PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has scoffed at the government’s idea. He believes no reforms are viable unless the establishment role in Pakistani politics is overcome. Meanwhile, the PML-N stalwarts keep harking on their “respect for the vote” manifesto. In their eyes, the rosy rules of the game do not need any improvement whatsoever. What an impasse!

It cannot be stressed enough that the ruling PTI cannot push through its reforms without unanimous support. No matter how uphill engagement with its archrivals may seem, a constructive discourse is its only option. Swearing up and down with no consequences in sight is what has brought the affairs to such dire straits. Now is the time to claim the high moral ground by listening to their reservations. Concerns about the vulnerability of electronic machines are not unfounded. Practices worldwide have shown time and again the loopholes in e-voting, which could be further compounded by our low literacy rate. How does the state plan on raising awareness about a relatively technical process amid widespread ballot mistakes? Forget the masses, as many as seven votes were rejected in the race for the most august house for violation of polling instructions.

Thus, no debate–however promising–can follow through without the participation of all major parties. As for them, a more sustainable resolution to the ongoing chaos would be to push forward the democratic project. With the next general race just two years away, won’t they be on the losing end if the senseless rigging drama continues? Our politicians need an upgraded version of democracy more than us! *