While appearing before the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday the PPP demanded that the Commission give an election date falling within the 90-day limit set by the Constitution for a poll after the dissolution of the National Assembly. It has had to make this demand because the ECP, while it has arrogated to itself the right to fix the date of general elections, has not done so even though the National Assembly was dissolved on August 9, and thus 20 of the 90 says have already passed without the ECP even giving a date. Instead, the ECP has said that it would carry out delimitations afresh under the recent census, of which the approval was the last act of the Council of Common Interests at a meeting summoned by the outgoing government. The ECP argued that it was constitutionally bound to carry out delimitations, and would only hold elections afterwards. The PPP has noted that delimitations would not be very extensive, and thus need not take the poll beyond the 90-day limit.
The moving forward of the election date is being taken with more nonchalance than it should. The 90-day limit was violated in the case of the Punjab and KP Assemblies, even though the matter ended up in court, with the Supreme Court ordering the ECP to hold elections to these two assemblies. Apart from the delay, there is the question of whether the polls that will be held will be free and fair. In principle, the elections should be held in a level playing field, with no interference by outside forces, with parties free to select the candidates of their choice.
However, there is the problem of certain favoured parties giving tickets to ‘electables’ because these have been told to move in a particular direction. Far from getting electables given to it, the PTI has found that its leadership is behind bars, assuming it has not abjured the party altogether. Apart from candidates, even the ordinary voter may well stay at home rather than turn out and vote for a party that has been earmarked for defeat.
It is the ECP which must ensure that parties, candidates and voters all feel that they are getting a fair shake, and that the elections are going to be so conducted that all will feel that the result will reflect the popular will, not the wishes of one narrow section.
