Working within boundaries

The PTI’s rather curious obsession with electoral rigging continues, and appears in fact to be expanding, bringing it into rather unfortunate conflict with other bodies. Most recently, the Election Commission of Pakistan, the body mandated by the constitution to organise all polls in the country has written a letter to the KP government stating that it would not be permitted to enquire into mismanagement and alleged rigging during the local government elections recently concluded in the province. The provincial government had set up a committee to look into the manner in which these polls were conducted and the problems that arose during the process. In its letter the ECP has made it clear that it alone has the power to oversee the balloting process and assess how it took place. It is not clear why this issue was not sorted out between the ECP and the KP government in advance. Both clearly needed to cooperate in order for the polls to go ahead. While the provincial government – as is the case everywhere – is responsible for maintaining law and order, the actual mechanism by which votes are placed in ballot boxes is the task of the ECP and the officials assigned by it for this purpose.
The ECP has also in a reply to the inquiry commission set up by the government stated that the PTI had not backed its allegations of rigging in the 2013 general election with any evidence. In fact it said that party appeared to be moving away from the charges it had made in the first place. This has also been voiced at other forums. While the PTI has played a potentially useful role in pointing out that flaws exist within the voting process there is a question over the extent to which this matter should be pursued especially as it has now been over two years since the elections took place. Quite possibly its announcement of an inquiry into LB polls in KP was intended to demonstrate its balanced position and lack of bias. It is also correct the violence seen during that poll could have been avoided. But it is also important that the various institutions and organisations we have in place to carry out the work of democracy are allowed to function within the framework laid out for them. At present too many entities begin attempting the same work. This can only lead to confusion, and will benefit no one. We must hope that this problem can be settled without much confrontation.