Among the issues that Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke about in his National Assembly speech was the need for electoral reforms. The PM called upon the opposition to engage with the government on the matter, on which, according to him, depended the future of Pakistan’s democracy. The PM said his government was ready to listen if the opposition had any other advice regarding electoral reforms. The government maintains that it wants to introduce the latest technology to bring transparency and credibility to the election process. The undue haste shown in getting the elections reforms bill through the National Assembly without debate has led the opposition to maintain that the PTI’s electronic voting system is in fact aimed at a planned technological rigging of the elections.
The government bill which was meant to end election-related controversies, has itself become controversial. The entire opposition has rejected the bill while the Election Commission maintains that some of its clauses violate constitutional provisions. The controversy has led Mr Khanto call on the opposition to enter into talks with the government.
Election rigging has two parts, pre- election rigging and rigging during the election. There have been complaints during almost all elections held after the 1970 polls of lists of candidates chosen by major parties either reviewed by the establishment or electables made to change party loyalties through phone calls. NAB has been used too often for the purpose. Introduction of EVMs would not end pre-poll rigging. For this social pressure will have to be built by the opposition parties. The opposition will have to be convinced that the voting machines cannot be manipulated. The opposition however will be failing in its duty if it does not proceed beyond nitpicking. It will have to share its own plans to hold transparent elections.
The PPP considers Parliament as the right forum to evolve a consensus over national issues like electoral reforms. The PML(N) however wants the ECP to call representatives of the government as well as the opposition to evolve a consensus and the jointly agreed draft then taken to Parliament for further improvement and ratification. Both the PPP and PML(N) agree on strengthening the ECP.
