Daily Times

The election campaign is over and it is time to reflect. We believe our country needs a new direction. Economic recovery is fragile and social cohesion is threatened by the unequal impact of the financial crisis and the continuing attempt to shrink basic human rights. Across, Pakistan remains traumatised by the war on terror and, like our neighbour Afghanistan, is spooked by the rise of jihadist terrorism and by mounting migratory pressures. In parts of Pakistan, nationalist and religious identities are threatening older solidarities while privacy and freedom sometimes feel under siege, even as we mark 800 years since the Magna Carta. Few people in Pakistan are leading longer, healthier and more satisfying lives than ever before, and too many of those remaining privileged lives feel stressed in ways to which politics struggles to respond, much less shape.

This is the context in which we must judge the record of the outgoing by-elections and the choices that were on offer to voters on October 11. Two years ago, the PTI was clear and rising, amid issues like the recession, corruption, accountability, nepotism, and Imran Khan’s leadership. The country seemed ready for a change, one they hoped would see a greatly strengthened PTI presence in parliament combined with the core principle tradition to reform politics. That did not happen. Instead, the PTI and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) have governed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa together for two consecutive years. That experiment has clearly run its course. Some despair of the whole system, believing a model created for two-party politics is now exhausted, failing to give adequate expression to the diverse society we have become. To the charge that they enabled a government whose record we reject, the PTI will plead that it has made a difference, mitigating and blocking on issues such as accountability, the environment, merit and nepotism without which things would have been worse. But they are surely not the answer when it comes to bringing the voters out on election day. The PTI has supporters but it lacks the voters when it matters the most.

In Pakistan, politics is going through a mental revolution, which brings us to the PPP. There have been times when the PPP vote has been; at best a pragmatic choice, something to be undertaken with enthusiasm. This is not such a time. Of course, there are misgivings. The party has some bad instincts on predatory capitalism, the energy crisis, economic policy, bribes and on corruption about which it was too inflexible. Questions linger over Asif Zardari’s leadership and whether he has that elusive quality that inspires others to follow.

But Mr Nawaz Sharif has shrewdly grown in this campaign. He may not have stardust or television-ready charisma but those are qualities that can be overvalued. He has shown astute resilience and, above all, a strong sense of what is just. Nawaz Sharif understood early on one of the central reasons behind wining the NA-122 by-elections: timing. While the PTI shrugged at that yawning gap between just and unjust, the PML-N strived to cleverly direct the march towards a close margin victory. It was the PML-N that appeared to be speaking with more urgency than its rivals on social justice, on investment for growth, on reforming and strengthening the public realm, Pakistan’s place in the economic corridor, international development and a record in government that it boasted to be more proud of than its rivals.

Voting is easy. All one needs to do is go to an appointed location, take a ballot, mark it with one’s choices and slip it into a ballot box. But there remains something to be said for the coming together on election day, heading to the polling place, driving past the crowds of political supporters holding their signs and offering one last-minute attempt at persuasion. Inside the polling place are familiar sights: the rows of voting booths, the ballot boxes and the local police officers standing watch. And, of course, there are now men in uniform, Rangers and the poll workers. Many people have grown cynical of the political process. They are turned off by politicians who make promises they never keep, by a system that favours keeping in office those who are already there and by ‘reforms’ that do little but increase the power of incumbency. Apathy abounds and turnouts are low.

What is needed is a renewed commitment, a determination to vote. It does not matter how many people like a candidate unless the voters show up to mark a ballot for him. That is why campaigns spend so much time, effort and money on voter registration drives. The way to win, obviously, is to persuade a majority of voters of the superiority of the candidate’s views, contribution to the party, the representing constituency and unblemished character. That must be accompanied, however, by turning out friendly voters and discouraging unfriendly voters.

The PTI think tank has to consider the underlying motivational causes of low turnout. People do not vote for a number of reasons. They do not think their single vote matters, so why bother? They do not see meaningful differences between the candidates. They do not understand the complicated issues at stake or they have more immediate economic or family concerns and voting is not a priority.

Lahore is certainly not the only city that suffered from low participation in local elections. But it was also seen elsewhere. Reviving the voter’s engagement may require psychological understanding in how they can be motivated and convinced to come out and cast their votes. Change the culture of campaigning. Party leaders need to acknowledge that their own behaviour and political campaign tactics may be turning off potential voters. Politicians may have a real passion for public service, which is just a wish, but they have to find a way to cut through the noise to connect with potential voters. This is no easy task but more creativity and effort could help counter the cynicism and disinterest that stifles turnout.

The writer is a professor of Psychiatry and consultant Forensic Psychiatrist in the UK. He can be contacted at fawad_shifa@yahoo.com