No Trust in New Election Management System, Good Turnout

News Desk

Islamabad: In the midst of swirling rumours surrounding potential terrorist threats targeting polling stations, a palpable sense of fear has descended upon the electoral landscape. The repercussions of these unverified reports are already apparent, as one of the key political parties finds itself forcibly sidelined from the race.

The looming uncertainty and perceived risks are expected to cast a shadow over voter enthusiasm, indicating the likelihood of a significantly reduced turnout in the upcoming elections.

The prevailing atmosphere of apprehension, coupled with the exclusion of a major political contender, highlights the formidable challenges confronting the electoral process.

These perspectives were shared by participants during a webinar organized by the Devcom-Pakistan Centre for Geopolitical Studies on fair and free elections on Saturday.

Former Senator Farhatullah Babr has shown his “no trust” in the new Election Management System (EMS) that the Election Commission of Pakistan introduced the other day. He said the political parties were not briefed about the new system for the transmission of election results. It has added to fears and doubts about the merits of the forthcoming elections.

One of the main political parties has already been pushed out. We repeatedly hear about the level playing field, but actually it is missing the most now. We shall not be surprised if the EMS fails at the moment of election result submission.

He said some powers are consistently manoeuvring the parliament, judiciary, and media. A resolution in the senate against the general elections, action against the protesting Baloachi families in front of the National Press Club, and media manoeuvring are the recent ones.

We need to keep raising our voices against the maneuvers. He feared the new general elections would increase political instability if the rightful measures were not taken to get away from the manoeuvring.

Speaking on the occasion, Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed said the people still have serious doubts about the merits of the February 8 elections. That is why the election campaigns have yet to take advantage of the conventional hype.

On the other hand, the general public seems reluctant after the PTI is divided into factions and one faction is pushed to the wall. It would hamper the overall turnout. Secondly, the people believe that the new Election Management System, a PKR 280 million system to ensure timely transmission of election results, will be used for maneuvering.

He urged the citizens, especially the young voters, to come out on polling day to cast their vote in any case. Threats may be used by some quarters to keep the turnout low. But everyone shall exercise their right to vote without considering the outcome.

Dr Khushboo Ejaz said, We have not seen any fair and free elections in the history of the country. The coming elections will be the worst in the form of pre-election rigging. One party has already been divided and sidelined, while social media mapping is used for segregation of voters’ polling stations.

Even the women of the same family have been assigned different polling stations, in most cases far away from each other. Women are usually dependent on their counterparts for commuting on election day in particular. This would limit the female voters’ turnout. Threats of untoward incidents and militancy are spread, perhaps intentionally, to keep the turnout low.

Dr Hassan Daud Butt said 2024 will be a historic year as 60 percent of the world will be going to elections, including Pakistan, India, Russia, and the US. It would have a significant impact not only on the internal situation of the respective country but also on its spillover to the region and internationally.

The voters shall see Pakistan’s elections in light of the manifestos of the contesting parties and their past performance in development, international relations, and geopolitical positioning. He said the public’s distrust has increased in the system, political parties, and their agendas. The coming elections will be more urban-centric, sans the young leadership, and with a meagre voice from the rural communities. The winning party is unlikely to be accepted by the losing ones.

Dr Hassan highlighted that though our electoral process is old and needs reforms as it favours the elite, people should vote based on their own ideologies and agendas and support candidates who promote development and create opportunities.

He highlighted that the way that elections are held and manifestos are made can appeal to different groups of voters. Youth, he believed, are more knowledgeable now and can use various platforms, including social media, to learn about candidates and their agendas and whether they are capable of addressing the contemporary issues Pakistan is facing, including geopolitical and economic challenges.

False narratives need to be addressed, and in the future, all political parties will have challenges if they do not embrace technology and work together to strengthen parliament.

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