Changing loyalties becomes regular feature of political system

PESHAWAR: The political parties claiming to be the champions of democracy and fair play ignore all the rules, regulations and principles while inducting “electable” and “influential” activists from other parties, especially at the time of general or by-elections.

Instead of following any principles, the central and provincial leaders of political parties feel proud for having lured important figures from rival parties. They claim the policies of their parties led these politicians to join them.

Such parties and leaders arrange receptions to welcome the newcomers and claim that the inductions are the sign of their increasing popularity. Aware of the fact that their leadership would allot tickets to contest the polls to the influential newcomers, most old and sincere party workers also participate in such functions silently.

The leadership of political parties ignores the feelings of the old and dedicated workers, who have long association with the parties and have rendered sacrifices in the hope that time would come for them too to make it to the national or provincial assembly.

There is no dearth of deserving and efficient workers in parties, but they cannot come forward due to the existing system where financial resources get preference over competence and sincerity. The poor in the current political system get ignored in the award of tickets for contesting elections.

The practice of induction of “influential and electable” has been going on since long, but both the leaders and old workers of different political parties have accepted it along with all its evils due to the existing electoral system. The “electable” usually has no ideology. They change the parties to get elected or settle political scores at local level.

It is interesting that every party welcomes the newcomers from the rival party but criticizes its opponents for doing the same and use insulting names for those changing parties for their vested interest.

“This trend has shattered the working of the parties, which have now become groups of personalities that sideline ideological workers,” said an activist, Raham Bacha Sherpao. “The ideological workers in every party are cornered. This is damaging for politics and political parties should follow principles instead of bringing electable,” he argued.

Disappointed with what they termed discrimination, the ideological workers from five union councils in PK-9, including Lala Kalay, Budhni, Pakha Ghulam, Wadpaga and Kankola jointly resigned when they failed to get ticket for their nominee, Kamran Khan.

Kamran Khan told The News that he had been associated with ANP for 45 years. He said the party’s organizations had submitted papers and nomination fees for him and later visited the provincial president Ameer Haider Hoti to get ticket for him. He said they were disappointed when they heard the argument that the party would follow the parliamentary politics as they need numbers instead of awarding tickets on the basis of ideology. 

The Jamaat-e-Islam (JI), which claimed to have a long process for even becoming a party member, is not exempt from this malaise. It allotted ticket to newcomer, Wasil Farooq, who the workers said remained ANP nazim before joining the JI for contesting the NA-4 Peshawar by-election. All the candidates for NA-4 bypolls excluding the PML-N’s Nasir Mosazai and ANP’s Khushdil Khan are newcomers. 

The supporters of various candidates said they have discussed the issue and decided to contest next election as independents if the party tickets were not allotted on merit. “It will be a silent protest. The newcomers are preferred and this has annoyed many in different constituencies,” an activist said.

“There are also opportunists in every party who do nothing for their respective parties but blame the leadership for all ills in the society,” said Farooq Khan. Associated with ANP since long, he said he knew he could not contest election as he has no resources. But he knew many who do nothing for their respective parties and blame the leadership for every ill. He listed the names of former elected members for misusing development funds for personal gains.

“Such workers have no right to be given a chance. It is the leadership’s discretion to make a decision on tickets distribution,” he argued.

“In the existing system, you need numbers in the parliament for which the parties usually prefer the influential personalities who could bear the expenditures for running an election campaign,” said a provincial leader. “The parties always accommodate their workers later on different occasions,” he added.

However, he confessed it was the failure of all political parties for failing to create a system wherein only efficient and deserving candidates could get party tickets.