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| June 30, 2005 | Thursday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 22, 1426 |
Politicians differ on poll mechanism
ISLAMABAD, June 29: Some senior politicians of the country, both from the government and the opposition, agreed on Wednesday on the need of a free, fair and transparent electoral system but disagreed on its mechanism. Some of them called for appointment of a chief election commissioner through an all-parties consensus while others demanded replacement of the military-supervised government with a caretaker set-up to conduct impartial elections.
The views were expressed at a two-day seminar on “Regional Dialogue, Free Fair and Credible Election Challenges and the Way Forward,” organized by a non-governmental organization at a local hotel.
The participants had a general consensus on appointment of an independent election commission but they maintained that no fair, free and credible elections could still be guaranteed until it was intended by the government.
President of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain evaded a question about General Musharraf’s going back on his promise of shedding his uniform by the appointed date and claimed it was not part of the agreement between the MMA and the government.
He argued that Gen Musharraf was legitimately elected president under the constitution’s 17th amendment and the coalition government was ready to cooperate with all political parties in the parliament through administrative measures to ensure free and fair polls.
He said that appointment of an independent CEC alone was not a guarantee for holding transparent polls but it was the intent of the government in power which makes the electoral process credible.
He gave the example of a former CEC Sajjad Ahmed Jan who had resigned on the second day of the rigged polls in 1977 saying he had done his best to make the process fair but in vain.
However, his contention about Justice Jan’s resignation was contested by a participant who claimed that in fact the former CEC had gone to Poland for medical check-up and had not resigned.
Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) president Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that two major opposition alliances ARD and MMA were in agreement that the present set up under Gen Musharraf was unconstitutional which needed to be removed by the help of a peaceful mass movement.
He said opposition parties had agreed on three points: removal of Gen Musharraf both as president and COAS, restoration of the 1973 constitution as it stood on October 12, 1999 with mutually agreed amendments, and appointment of an independent CEC.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, acting parliamentary leader of PML (Nawaz), said his party would not become part of the present process in which every action was directed by one individual.
Pakistan Tehrik Insaaf chief Imran Khan said that both the bureaucratic machinery as well as agencies were fully involved in pre- and post-election rigging and unless their influence was removed no elections could be free and fair.
He also put freedom of the judiciary as a prerequisite to the conducting of free and fair elections to arbiter any pre- and post-polls rigging.
Responding to a debate whether fair polls were possible under the present dispensation, Imran Khan said as long as Gen Musharraf was in power the opposition parties were left with no option but to demand an independent election commission.
Dr Farooq Sattar, parliamentary leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), supported the demand of holding fair and free elections as no elections could be held under crises conditions.
Sherry Rahman of the PPP Parliamentarians asked the MMA chief to repent its role in the passing of the 17th amendment to allow the combined opposition to go forward on its agenda meant to remove General Musharraf from power.
However, Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that before we repent our role in the passing of the 17th amendment all political parties should regret their taking part in election 2002 as all of them should have launched a movement to get rid of military rule at that point of time.
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