KARACHI, Aug 20: Bread and butter matters, supremacy of the constitution and the role of the armed forces, law and order, abolition of corruption and provision of basic amenities and security to the people, and not the sentimental foreign policy issues, are likely to dominate the upcoming elections, leaders of political parties said on Tuesday.

It appears that there will be two planks of the campaign platform: one advocating a strong federation with provincial autonomy; and the other would be dominated by those who are for a loose federal system, with more powers with the federating units. This platform would represent the aspirations of regional parties.

Most of the mainstream political parties will be focusing on constitutional matters such as curtailment of parliament’s authority by the present regime. But the dominant aspect of their campaign would be provincial autonomy, law and order and the role of the armed forces.

It seems that despite popular outburst against General Musharraf’s policy vis-a-vis Afghanistan and support for the US fight against terrorism and its effect internally, except for a few, none of the mainstream parties are prepared to make it a campaign issue because their leaders are keen to win favours of extra-regional actors.

The acting secretary-general of the Pakistan Peoples’ Party, Mian Raza Rabbani, said that the unending price hike, retrenchments, inability of the economy to generate jobs, frequent increase in utility charges and deregulation of POL prices were likely to generate more attention due to massive unemployment and economic difficulties caused by the regime’s policies.

Economic issues would be the main plank of his party because it affects everyone. Even constitutional matters are likely to take secondary position to economic matters. Referring to the government’s claim of rising foreign exchange reserves, he said :”What good the seven billion dollar reserve has done to the people. There is hardly any impact on the quality of their life.”

He said there was a national consensus on how to remove the armed forces from the power game. Their nexus with the West, especially with reference to financial institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank, was also a matter of concern. There were indications that such agreements could be renegotiated when some of the mainstream parties came to power.

He said that Kashmir issue would enjoy prominence in the campaign of the parties.

Dr Farooq Sattar, deputy convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, was of the view that the political structure and the administrative system needed to be changed, and said his party would canvas for a loose federation and strong provinces enjoying complete autonomy particularly in financial matters. In this context, he said that the MQM would seek implementation of the 1940 resolution.

He hoped that the middle class of Punjab would eventually also support this because, according to him, cosmetic changes had not done good to the country.

In the realm of foreign policy, he said, Pakistan never had its own foreign or internal policy. The MQM leader believed that after the U-turn in foreign policy after the Sept 11 incident in the USA, its objectives would not be achieved unless a similar U-turn was made in domestic policies.

Most of the religious parties and others, which have never fared well in elections over the years, are likely to attack the regime’s foreign policy and what they claim to be a changed Kashmir policy under pressure from the USA. They were also expected to attack the establishment for its policy directed towards religious schools, parties and groups under the garb of fight against terrorism.

Prof Ghafoor Ahmed, deputy chief of the Jamaat-i-Islami, believed that respect for constitutional dispensation would attract attention, and he hoped that the parties would remain faithful to their manifestoes.

He said that Kashmir would figure prominently in the election campaign together with the issues of corruption and accountability, role of the armed forces and law and order.

Other macro and micro issues are likely to be included in the manifestoes of the mainstream political parties. Many of them are likely to include issues such as the pattern of land holdings and economy, whether fully free enterprise or mixed economy, and land revenue/taxation system in their manifestoes.

It would be interesting to note their position on the General Sales Tax, workers’ rights, commitment to one system of education, their stand on Deeni Madaris, health, police reforms, local government and the devolution process.