PML-N works frantically for clean Senate polls

Published February 26, 2015
PM Nawaz Sharif speaks during Central Working Committee and Central Parliamentary Party joint meeting.—Online/File
PM Nawaz Sharif speaks during Central Working Committee and Central Parliamentary Party joint meeting.—Online/File

ISLAMABAD: The Senate elections are turning out to be a political albatross for the PML-N; such is the level of frustration and fretfulness. Everybody who is anybody in the ruling party was in the overcast capital on Wednesday, making frantic efforts to ensure a broader political consensus on holding elections to the upper house of parliament that were “free of horse-trading”.

As the hail came down outdoors, a flurry of meetings was held both at the Prime Minister’s Office and elsewhere with leaders of other political parties. On the agenda was the PML-N’s call for “open balloting in Senate elections”, for which the government needed to introduce a constitutional amendment.

Know more: Property tycoon ‘invests’ in Senate elections

Another way to check the errant lawmakers who, the ruling party fears, might vote against its candidates – is to have a broader agreement with all political parties. If such a consensus is achieved, all parties’ candidates will be elected unopposed according to their voting strength in the national and provincial assemblies. The government, according to a top party office-bearer, is exploring both options.


PM, lieutenants spend busy day lobbying other parties for support


The impossible mission, according to some constitutional experts, was launched earlier in the day by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who chaired meetings of several committees comprising two to three members. The committees were constituted on Monday to hold discussions with political parties across the board, seeking their input on changing the voting system from a secret ballot to a more open system for the March 5 Senate elections.

After in-house deliberations, the PM’s lieutenants were tasked to approach different targets; leaders of political parties present in the city. The obtrusive Ishaq Dar led the government team to impress upon the PPP leadership of the need for greater openness in the voting process for Senate elections.

After the meeting, PPP leader and former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said his party was supportive of the efforts to discourage horse-trading in the upcoming elections. However, he called for further brainstorming on whether there was a need for a constitutional amendment.

“The PPP fully supports the move to make Senate elections transparent, but to achieve the desired results, the top leadership of the two sides must meet,” he said.

In response, Mr Dar said the government, through a constitutional amendment or otherwise, was trying to get rid of the curse of horse-trading once and for all.

The meeting took place at the residence of PPP’s Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Ahmed Shah in the ministers’ enclave. A PPP source told Dawn that the idea of holding an all-party conference on the subject was also discussed during the meeting.

A second government team, headed by Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, was given the challenging task of bringing JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on board.

Already annoyed with the government over the setting up of military courts, Maulana Fazl said, “We are still to digest the impact of the 21st Amendment, now the government is asking for a 22nd amendment, which I don’t believe my party will support.” He also made the argument that without evidence, it was wrong to doubt the loyalties of party legislators.

Mr Rafique, in response, underlined the importance of an open ballot, saying that the decision will be beneficial for all political parties. “I will surely convey the concerns of the JUI-F to the PM and hope he will rethink the measures which the government intends to take,” he said after meeting the Maulana at the latter’s residence in the ministers’ enclave.

Meanwhile, Senator Dar established telephonic contact with PTI General Secretary Jahangir Tareen over the proposed changes in voting methods. The two leaders are expected to meet on Thursday as Mr Tareen was out of the city the day before.

In a separate statement, a PTI spokesperson said the party supported voting through a show of hands, but would not go back to parliament until the formation of a judicial commission empowered to investigate rigging in the last general elections.

Saad Rafique called Jamaat-i-Islami Secretary General Liaquat Baloch to seek his party’s support for the constitutional measures that the government’s legal experts had worked out. The two parties are also expected to meet on Thursday.

Talking about the chances of effecting the desired amendment before polling day, the former law secretary and adviser to the prime minister on parliamentary affairs, Barrister Zafarullah Khan, said it was quite possible, provided political parties agreed. As of now, the PPP holds a majority in the Senate and its support was compulsory for a two-thirds majority in the upper house.

The PPP, in a formal response to the government decision, had said on Monday: “The government’s decision to amend the Constitution for Senate elections by show of hands is a hasty and thoughtless move bereft of deep thought and reflection and seems aimed at political point scoring.”

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2015

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