Ever since the SC ordered ECP to hold general elections on 8th February, the political parties are feverishly engaged in forming alliances, wheeling and dealing as well as deliberating on their election manifestoes. However none of the party leaders has been as active as Bilawal Bhutto. He has been going around the country addressing conventions of the party workers and giving hopes for a prosperous future under the PPP regime while having a swipe at the old politicians and their traditional methods to play power politics. PML (N) headed by Nawaz Sharif is probably launching its elections campaign from 15th of January.
While PML (N) and most of other parties are yet to unfurl their manifestoes, Bilawal Bhutto has already announced ten-point election manifesto to solicit public mandate. It is quite ambitious programme aimed at attracting the attention of the poor masses which form majority of the registered voters. While one cannot doubt the pro-poor credentials of Pakistan Peoples Party I honestly feel that some of the pledges made are unrealistic to say the least considering the febrile state of the economy and the unfavourable global economic environment pivotal to propelling the conceived economic recovery.
The promises to provide 300 units of electricity to poor families free of cost, building 30-lakh housing units for homeless people across the country, doubling the salary of the government employees, providing free and quality education to the people across the country and world-class health facilities for all, though sound very pleasant to the ears but the problem is that the country does not have the kind of resources to implement these programmes as it would require billions and billions of dollars which a country like Pakistan faced with extreme financial crunch simply cannot muster over the next five years even if the PPP wins the elections and forms government at the centre and some of the provinces as being envisaged by the PPP Wizards. His promise to tackle inflation through poverty alleviation programme is also not convincing because he did not elaborate the measures that would be taken to alleviate poverty. However the issuance of Kisan cards to farmers for providing subsidy directly to them, provision of youth cards and expansion in the Benazir Income Support programme can be fulfilled without much hassle.
PTI had promised to build five million houses and creating ten million jobs but nothing is on the ground except the propaganda that was done unabashedly during its three and half years rule. I am sure other parties including PML (N) would also announce over-ambitious manifestos to win public franchise without ever explaining from where the funds would come to implement the pledges. The PML (N) leadership is trying to give the impression that it is the only hope for reversing the worst ever economic decline and bringing relief to the masses. It is a very general kind of narrative. Indications are that the PML (N) will also come up with an overambitious manifesto to lure the masses. The poor masses always get duped by leaders of the political parties.
The leaders can announce manifestos without any fear of having to unravel the resources required to implement those agendas and the avenues to generate those funds. The dilemma is that there is no system in place in the country to check the veracity of the claims that the parties and their leaders make at the time of elections. In USA the presidential candidates confront each other regarding their suggested manifestos and the sources from where they would muster the required finances. It helps the public to evaluate the veracity of their programmes and make informed choices.
PTI had promised to build five million houses and creating ten million jobs but nothing is on the ground except the propaganda that was done unabashedly during its three and half years rule. I am sure other parties including PML (N) would also announce over-ambitious manifestos to win public franchise without ever explaining from where the funds would come to implement the pledges.
It is a painful reality of Pakistan that political power is monopolized by the elitist classes. The archaic colonial system of governance which has inbuilt avenues corruption and promotes a culture of entitlement makes it possible for them to maintain their strangle-hold on power.
Since 1958 Pakistan has gone 23 times to the IMF for bail-out packages and almost all regimes during this time have been availing it. This in itself explodes the myth of the claims of economic development and progress made by the rulers from every convenient roof-top. They all are demagogues of the fist order and have a common cause in perpetuating the system that serves their vested interests. The poor masses have been only fed on false promises. The monopoly of the elitist classes on political power is the bane of socio-economic development of the country and ever-growing poverty. Presently 40% of the population is living below the poverty line.
Elections no doubt are absolutely essential to elect a representative government and to strengthen democracy. But the way they are held in Pakistan presents no hope of ever changing the fortune of the poor masses. In Pakistan even the elected leaders have been acting as dictators due to power politics.
Another outcome of the power politics is that parties losing the elections have never accepted the results and their priority invariably has been to pull down the government instead of focusing on serving the national interests by playing their role as a responsible opposition. The country is going to polls on 8th February and there are already voices expressing doubts about fairness of the polls and some political parties are also persistently crying hoarse to rub in the notion that they are not being provided the level playing field and allegedly efforts are afoot to bring a particular party into power for the fourth time.
Under the circumstances it is feared that election result like always will be disputed and the country will remain embedded into perennial political instability. I think the politicians need to change their attitude and conduct and give priority to the national interests which are without doubt contingent upon political stability in the country.
The country is in dire straits at the moment. There is a need for collective efforts and wisdom to winch it out of the quagmire it is stuck into due to he shenanigans of the rulers, more so the politicians. They learn from the past mistakes, respect the elections results and refrain from destabilizing the incumbent government and allow it to complete its mandated tenure. That is the only way the country can move forward and deal with the challenges confronting the country for the last more than seventy five years. We do need a break from the unenviable past. If the politicians fail to grasp the urgency to rectify their follies they might become irrelevant to the political landscape of the country because the masses are fed up with their hollow claims and slogans.
