KARACHI, Sept 19: Central leaders of major political parties have attributed low-key electioneering to a thinking among voters, caused by alleged pre-poll rigging and manoeuvrings by the government to secure desired results, that the election process would not bring about any change in their lives.
They were speaking at a seminar for journalists titled “Election Campaign 2002: Issues, Trends and Strategies” held under the aegis of the Pakistan Press Foundation here on Thursday.
The deputy secretary-general of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Mian Raza Rabbani, alleged due to faulty and ill-conceived policies of the regime, especially the acceptance the dictates of donor agencies and unprecedented retrenchment in government and private organizations, had contributed to a feeling of despondency among the people.
“The regime, while carrying out largescale downsizing, took the plea that these steps are aimed at improving the financial health of institutions and organizations. However, it hired the services of foreign consultants in the same banks at very high salaries which not only neutralized the whole drive but rather made a mockery of the entire exercise,” he said.
Criticizing the ever-increasing utility prices, Mr Rabbani said the situation had now reached such a point that utility charges consumed the major part of the income of those earning Rs3,000-4,000 a month.
Similarly, he said, deregulation of petroleum products had also added to the problems of the common man. Increasing fuel prices after every fortnight amounted to mini-budgets.
“The more alarming thing is that the focus of price hike are diesel prices which would have a direct bearing on agriculture which is the backbone of the country’s economy.”
“These problems cannot be tackled by an unrepresentative government. We have devised an effective strategy to steer the country of the quagmire with the help of other parties as we think that only a national effort can solve all these mounting problems,” he emphasized.
He also accused the regime of resorting to “pre-poll rigging through various means.” He claimed that the Governor’s Houses in Sindh and Punjab had virtually been turned into election offices of the “King’s Party” where all kinds of posting and transfers were being carried out.
“Police and other components of state machinery are being used to intimidate candidates and their supporters to ensure the attainment of set objectives,” he said.
He claimed that specific laws had been promulgate with the sole objective to keep the main popular political leadership of the country out of the election process.
Quoting President Pervez Musharraf, he said he made it clear that if the parliament after the general elections attempted to debate constitutional amendment introduced by his government, it would amount to a direct conflict with him and the National Security Council.
“Armed with article 58 2 (B) which bestows on him powers to dissolve parliament, how would parliament function under constant pressure and what would be the justification for its existence if it fails to perform for the good of the people,” he posed the question.
Dr Arif Alvi, vice president of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Sindh, said his party believed that corruption was the major cause of bad governance, adding because of the bane of corruption the country had been dismembered in 1971.
“In my Sindh Assembly constituency in Baldia Town voters have become so disenchanted with the election process that they have displayed banners that none of the candidates should attempt to visit them to asks for their votes since for the past 54 year all their problems have remained unsolved despite promises by candidates of political parties to solve them on a priority basis,” he said.
Dr Rahimul Haq, vice president of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Sindh, said his party was one of the major forces of the biggest province of the country, viz Punjab where out of 36 districts more than 29 were ruled by Nazims backed by his party.
Kunwar Khalid Yunus of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement also spoke at the seminar.—PPI