OUR electoral system needs to change to end corruption and the ‘electables’ menace once and for all. The new rules should: disqualify existing MNAs and MPAs for life; their family, immediate or extended, cannot contest elections, ever; the minimum work experience required for a MPA/MNA should be 10 years in a professional/vocational environment; working professionals — teachers, doctors, engineers, mechanics, technicians, etc — should be given preference for a single term, just like a new teacher replaces the previous in the next term.

A teacher is most likely to think about educating our people. A doctor will think about the healthcare system. A banking professional will think about the financial aspects of the country. The most educated individual will be elected from his/her constituency and will actually do something for the people.

The current parliamentarians have no clue about peoples’ daily lives. If these ‘electables’ continue to run the show, then our country will never progress.

Adnan Khan Nadeem
Karachi

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2018

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