ELECTION rhetoric apart, Mian Nawaz Sharif’s apprehensions about electoral malpractices deserve to be taken seriously in a country where polling and vote count are far from transparent. Talking to journalists in Sukkur on Sunday, the PML-N chief said there would be a strong reaction if the general election was rigged and asked the PPP to help form a truly impartial caretaker set-up for the purpose. The sources of electoral malpractices are varied and stem from the kind of feudal- and militant-dominated society we live in. The administrative machinery is often open to pressure, and violence or threats of violence militate against fair voting. This is in addition to what Mehrangate revealed — the ISI funding parties of its choice.

Mercifully, we can see that all parties have agreed on the two major deterrents against electoral malpractices — an impartial caretaker regime and a truly independent election commission. The PPP-led government and the opposition have chosen the right man in Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim as chief election commissioner, and the 20th constitutional amendment laying down the mechanism for choosing a caretaker prime minister has parliamentary consensus. The acting prime minister has not yet been chosen, but the opposition has come out with several names to which the government side has not reacted negatively. Let us hope that the spirit shown in the CEC’s appointment will also be there in the choice of the interim prime minister. However, when the interim set-up is in place, the political parties and media, amongst others, must show a sense of responsibility, behave with restraint and lend full support to the caretaker regime and the CEC. This means a pledge to adopt a less emotional approach towards the issues of the day and to work collectively for fair polls. Placing the administrative machinery under the CEC, as has been demanded by some opposition leaders, is perhaps not immediately possible, but it can be considered later. However, transparency and smooth voting can be ensured if the caretaker government lends its full support to the CEC. This is a crucial step towards stabilising the democratic process.