KARACHI, 27 July — As Oct. 10 elections draw near, President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s authority is becoming increasingly vulnerable to the harsh realities of Pakistan’s politics. Opposition to the proposed constitutional amendments, meant essentially to considerably enhance the powers of the president, has steadily mounted. And the Election Commission has taken the initiative to restore its credibility in the conduct of an electoral exercise that is accepted as fair and impartial. Reports that the military government was seeking to manipulate the choice of candidates in certain constituencies have also tended to put the administration on the defensive.
Confidence in the integrity of Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (Retd) Irshad Hasan Khan, was eroded after the referendum of April 30 and political parties have demanded the appointment of another individual in his place. But Justice Khan is now holding consultations with different political parties to assure them that the October elections would be free and fair and entirely transparent.
As if to underline this warranty, the Election Commission has restrained the federal and provincial governments from reshuffling bureaucracy before the completion of the elections. This order, issued on Tuesday, has come in the wake of reports of large-scale transfers of civil servants, particularly in Sindh, with the alleged purpose of providing support to the pro-establishment candidates.
In addition, the Chief Election Commissioner has asked the government to lift its ban on political activities “at the earliest” because the general elections were only weeks away. He also wondered why the government was taking so long to finalize the procedure for elections to the Senate and for special seats for women and technocrats. He has written to President Musharraf to say that the government should not allow its impartiality vis-a-vis elections to be compromised in any manner. He has also said that incumbent ministers seeking to contest elections should resign well before the campaign officially begins.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration has made its first comment on the proposed constitutional amendments, saying that these amendments should come into force in a way consistent with the existing Pakistani constitution. It further emphasized that the process should be transparent, fair and acceptable to Pakistani people. Observers attach significance to this observation since the US is generally seen to be so supportive of President Musharraf, because of Pakistan’s crucial role in the campaign against international terrorism, that it might overlook some democratic deviations of the country’s military rulers.
Indeed, the State Department’s comment on Tuesday had come after some deliberation. It was a written response to a question asked earlier, in the previous week. The State Department spokesman said: “We have made clear that full restoration of democratic civilian rule in Pakistan is very important to us”.
President Musharraf’s consultations with representatives of various political parties has continued but representatives of the two major political parties of the former prime ministers, Pakistan People’s Party of Benazir Bhutto and Pakistan Muslim League of Nawaz Sharif, have not met him yet. Pakistan Muslim League (N) was invited for a discussion on proposed constitutional amendments on Wednesday but it deferred the invitation and instead suggested a collective meeting of leaders representing the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD). Both parties are members of the alliance.
On its part, the Central Executive Committee of the Pakistan People’s Party, in its meeting in Karachi on Tuesday, decided to send the invitation from President Musharraf to the party’s London office, obviously for a decision by Benazir Bhutto. At this stage, the two parties are anxious to meet all the legal demands set by the government, such as intra-party elections before Aug. 5, so that their participation in the elections is not blocked.
Considering the state of confrontation that exists between the military government and the two former prime ministers, there is great suspense about the electoral performance of the two opposition parties. Logically, President Musharraf would want to go to any lengths to block their ascension to power. It is in this context that the credibility of the elections is at stake, particularly because the two parties are set to make a joint front against the military regime. It is also a relevant fact that the parties and leaders favored by the government are unable to excite popular emotions.
Against this perspective, it is the heavy burden of President Musharraf to project impartiality and integrity in his handling of the electoral process. The proposed constitutional amendments are seen as a blatant device to protect President Musharraf’s authority after the promised restoration of democracy. If Pakistan’s turbulent history is any guide, the military rulers should not prevail. A glimpse of what can happen would be available when unhindered political campaigning is allowed. And it cannot be delayed for too long.
