By
Mohammad Shehzad
ISLAMABAD:
Political parties are enthusiastic about taking part in the elections
despite their doubts and qualms about the credibility of the election,
because they consider it a good opportunity to go to the people
to create means and ways for establishing a democratic process.
They, however, reject the recently proposed amendments in the constitution.
October
10 polls could provide a way to establish a peaceful transition
to democratic civilian governance. If the election process was deemed
credible by the people of Pakistan; if immediate steps, following
the election, to transfer full powers to parliament and a democratically
mandated government were taken; if the people participated in the
election process and their will was respected and the military transferred
power immediately after the elections, the October 10 voting would
come to be noted as a referendum on democracy. And if this did not
take place, the election will be a hollow exercise. The people of
Pakistan desire democracy and the hope is, the country’s leaders,
both military and civilian, were prepared to take the necessary
measures in the period ahead to ensure that this fundamental right
is realized.
Pakistan
plays an important role in the region and in the world. Its ability
to achieve a system by which its population can make peaceful changes
through democratic processes and institutions and achieve improved
conditions for living will make a significant contribution not just
in Pakistan but beyond. The international community should pay careful
attention and provide needed assistance to realize these goals.
This
is the crux of a report based on the findings and observations of
a delegation of the National Democratic Institute for International
Affairs (NDI). The delegation, multinational and bipartisan in composition--Carole
Hillard (US), Tanku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim (Malaysia), Philip Oldenburg
(US), Mary Cummins, Country Director, NDI, Pakistan (Ireland), and
Patrick Merloe (US)--visited Pakistan from September 3-10 to assess
the political environment and the framework for Pakistan’s
transition to democratic civilian rule, in the context of the October
10 elections for the national and provincial assemblies.
According
to General Musharraf, after the elections, all the power will be
transferred to the elected representative of the people. But NDI’s
report endorses the opinions that independent writers, media and
civil society have to date been expressing, i.e. the elections would
provide a very limited transfer of power to the civilians and it
would still be a mammoth challenge for both military and civilian
to develop a true transition from military rule to civilian governance.
Enlightened
people of Pakistan have been saying from the day one that a genuine
“democratic governance” depends on the genuine will
and commitment of the political leaders. That’s also one of
the findings in the report: “Just as the military must assume
its proper role in a democratic system, political leaders must develop
political parties and institutions that are accountable and open
to democratic participation by those who have been left out of politics,
and both military and political leaders must recognize in practice
that the authority to govern derives from the will of the people.”
Sharing
the views of the civil society leaders i.e. a sham election could
push the country into a crisis, the delegation was deeply concerned
that if the consequences of the election failed to produce immediate,
meaningful democratic developments and the stability of the country
could be jeopardized. It emphasized the need for civilian political
leaders to take the necessary steps to root out corruption, and
to demonstrate to the population that they were prepared to learn
from the past and establish accountable and democratic parties and
governmental institutions.
The
civil society believes Musharraf’s actions do not match his
words. The report raises this issue saying that the judiciary’s
acquiescence to military rule seemed to be coupled with the willingness
by many people to give him a chance to put the country onto a democratic
course. Since that time, however, there has been an extraordinary
concentration of power into his hands. This has been accomplished
through his unilateral changes in the basic law of the land and
an extra-constitutional referendum manipulated in an attempt to
demonstrate a popular basis for his self-appointment as president
for the next five years. These factors have led many to rightfully
question the nature of the scheduled transition to civilian governance,
even while they may continue to accept his intention as sincere.
The
character of judiciary in Pakistan has never been unquestionable.
The report notes that there was a crisis of confidence in Pakistan’s
judiciary, which may inhibit use of the courts as a means for seeking
remedies for complaints concerning the election process and the
broader process of transition to democratic civilian governance.
In a dramatic development, the leading Bar Councils and Associations
have declared that they will not file cases before the Supreme Court
or the High Courts concerning any matter of constitutional substance.
Leaders of the Bar explained that their decision came about after
a series of pro-government court judgements that ran contrary to
provisions in the 1973 Constitution, which the bar leaders considered
were rendered on a political basis.
The
carefully worded report revealed that discussion were underway among
numerous parties to join immediately after the elections to pursue
gaining full parliamentary powers and to address concerns about
the elements of the Legal Framework Order, 2002 which Musharraf
issued unilaterally decreeing 29 amendments to the Constitution,
validating all his orders to legitimize his military rule.
The
report ends with a positive note i.e. Pakistan stands at a critical
juncture in its history. The period ahead will determine whether
the country can put itself successfully on a course to genuine democratization.
The transition process that must follow the October 10 polls will
be central to this, and the ability of the population to accept
the upcoming elections as fair and credible, based on free voting
and open competition, is critical to set the stage for the post-election
transition. The delegation hopes that those presently holding power
and the elected representatives will take decisive steps in the
period immediately ahead to ensure that the people’s desire
for an right to democracy is realized.
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