A report by the International Crisis Group (ICG) predicted Pakistan is inching towards contested polls and there are chances to damage the incoming government’s legitimacy no matter which party assumes power after the February 8 elections.
The report said that opportunities to address the flaws in the system are shrinking rapidly. It predicted that election day could be marred by disputed polls.
The thinktank advised all political parties to uphold their opponents’ right to contest polls. It also advised political parties to not turn a blind eye to manipulation and interference by caretaker governments and law enforcement agencies.
The report said the judiciary also played a role by removing some of the obstacles that would have prevented free and fair elections. But the report also highlighted that the decision to deny the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) a common election symbol led to a major controversy.
“Pakistan is holding general elections in a climate of deep political polarisation and a military crackdown on former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI party. The election commission must ensure that all parties, including the PTI, contest the polls and all voters, particularly women, are able to cast their ballots. A disputed poll would damage the incoming government’s legitimacy, leaving it ill-equipped to deal with the political and economic instability that is sure to follow,” ICG Asia Director Huong Le Thu was quoted as saying by Pakistan-based news website GeoNews.
The report also said that the moves taken to set the Pakistani economy on the right path was a short-term fix. The standby agreement with the IMF was a short-term fix to ensure that the economy did not collapse before the new government took over.
The report said a “peaceful, credible transfer of power” is needed to keep the economy afloat along with a longer-term deal with the IMF as Pakistan remains cash-starved and politically unstable. The report also indicated that trust in Pakistan’s election commission has also eroded and its credibility damaged.
“To regain public trust, it should seek to ensure that the central and provincial interim administrations respect the right of all political parties to prepare for and participate in the vote. It might be an uphill battle to eliminate disadvantages for the PTI and other parties, given the heightened polarisation, but a blatantly uneven contest will hurt the next government,” the report said.
The report said the election commission failed to curb interference and failed to exercise sufficient oversight over its own personnel. “A flawed poll will harm the incoming government’s legitimacy, fuel discontent and heighten risks of tumult in a country already reeling from attacks by jihadist insurgents. The election commission must try to ensure that all parties contest the polls freely,” the report said.
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