As the general elections are around the corner, if they take place, the electables have found a way or they have been given a way to change their loyalties. Every political party benefited from the electables when it was in need. And, electables kept on switching parties time and again for their benefit.
Electables are a bunch of opportunists who take steps for their interests to strengthen their political position in the country and earn a place in the assembly. They have the support of a considerable number of voters.
They enjoy the backing of a large number of people primarily because of two reasons. A) The status and position they enjoy in society based on their economic superiority and control of power, and B) The support of different biradaris (groups, tribes, families, castes) due to the existence of the biradari system in the country, mainly in rural areas.
The social injustice and power dynamics in society make people stand behind an electable due to their powerful status. In a country like Pakistan, parliamentary democracy also encourages biradaris, groups, and tribes to play a key role in politics. Their representatives enjoy decent support behind them.
The role of electables has always remained relevant in the country. The political history of Pakistan is filled with electables changing parties for their benefit.
Primarily, electables join or are made to join parties that are supposed to win the upcoming elections. The political parties welcome them to further increase their vote bank.
These electables are welcomed wholeheartedly because they are expected to play a key role in making the party position strong and weakening the rival parties which they left.
We all have grown up seeing political opportunists changing their loyalties again and again in the name of the betterment of the country. But their actions always benefit them and they take decisions even without considering the sentiments of the people they represent. They win because they have the backing of the supporting biradaris, groups, and tribes and because of the politically, powerfully, and economically conquered people.
The role of political opportunists is one reason among various others that Pakistan lacks a viable political and democratic culture. They, in collaboration with power-driven political parties, do not allow voters to develop political wisdom. The voters vote for the electables because they are bound to do so because of the above-mentioned reasons. They are trained to follow the electables wherever they go.
The political parties by and large should negate the culture of electables. They should give tickets to the ones who deserve it. But, it can only happen once political parties will start sticking with their ideologies no matter when they get success instead of compromising on their ideology and merit for short-term success. If the electables are eliminated from politics we may see a huge change in the working of democracy in Pakistan and politics will be operated by professionals rather than opportunists.
In supporting the electables, the voters do not take into account their ideological linkages with their favorite party. They vote for the electables they are backing no matter which party they join. They may be with one party ideologically but they will vote for another party because of their preferred electable.
Similarly. an electable may win an election independently and join any party on his terms. How often do we see voters recounting the virtues of one political party on one occasion and another on one occasion? The reason for the change of mind is not logical but obligatory, shaped by their preferred candidates who keep on changing their loyalties.
This is how the political culture is compromised by a bunch of opportunists and power-driven political parties.
The electables culture further strengthens the position of powerful and economically strong politicians in the country. It has weakened the role of ideology-driven political parties and ideological voters. It further endorses the concept that politics is not for the ordinary, educated, and poor but it is for the rich, powerful, and the ones with strong backgrounds. As a result, politics remains the luxury of those who can afford it.
The political parties mostly don’t have a strong ideology to motivate people. Their only concern is to win elections. These parties cash in on the charisma of their party heads and rely on the grinding of the rival leaders to attract voters. The electables further strengthen this process. The political parties need these electables to assist them and the electables need these political parties to consolidate their position. Hence in a win-win situation for both, the right candidates are left behind.
Ideally, people should vote for a party not electables, for ideology, not mere promises, for a great cause not on mere liking, disliking, social superiority, and biradari lines.
This creates political wisdom in people. People know why they are voting and for whom they are voting. It gives rise to a healthy democratic culture in a society.
Coming back to the current scenario, more than a hundred PTI prominent leaders have left the party or politics. The majority among them are electables. The difference between the previous and current situation is that this time it looks like the electables are going against their will to leave the PTI.
The PTI was the favorite to sweep the polls a month ago. There were several contenders for one ticket. The PTI might still end up winning, given the mass support it has, if PTI is not banned. The electables who are leaving the party are aware of it.
The electables join or leave a party depending on the political future of that party. Mainly, they take decisions to make sure they win but sometimes they take decisions for other reasons as well when the opportunity arrives.
There may be many justifications given by the electables including the distancing from the party after the painful incidents on May 9.
However, an ideological leader should be responsible for the right and wrong actions of the party. How the burden of responsibility can shift by the change of loyalty or distancing of a leader from a party? All the electables who are leaving now supported the PTI’s narrative.
But, they distanced themselves from PTI as the opportunity arrived. Other than a few PTI hard-core leaders, the maximum will join other political parties in the coming months and the cycle will continue.
Many electables have started to join different parties. The majority of the electables who are leaving PTI are the ones who joined it before the 2018 elections and before that.
The political parties by and large should negate the culture of electables. They should give tickets to the ones who deserve it. But, it can only happen once political parties will start sticking with their ideologies no matter when they get success instead of compromising on their ideology and merit for short-term success. If the electables are eliminated from politics we may see a huge change in the working of democracy in Pakistan and politics will be operated by professionals rather than opportunists.
