PPP, ANP for proportional representation in Senate

Islamabad
The PPP and ANP senators propose that the Senate election be held on the basis of proportional representation to eliminate the practice of horse-trading once and for all to the satisfaction of all political parties.
Talking to The News, PPP Senator Saeed Ghani said his party co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari first raised the issue of horse-trading in Senate election in 2012 when he was serving as the President of Pakistan.
“Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari at that time also underlined the need for holding the Senate elections on the basis of proportional representation through a constitutional arrangement where small parties could also be adjusted,” he said.
He said those theorizing that the proportional representation would involve some complications should keep in mind that the existing election procedure for the upper house was already so complicated for the general public to understand.
He said if everyone agreed with the fact that horse-trading was involved in the Senate election, then why all the political parties don’t adopt the simple and straight formula of proportional representation to ensure a transparent procedure to elect senators.
In the neighboring India, the upper house (Rajya Sabha) election is actually based on the proportional representation system. Based on their strength in the state assemblies, the political parties can nominate their members to the upper house.
The same system is being followed while electing Members of the Legislative Council (MLC) from the state assemblies.
Senator Zahid Khan of Awami National Party (ANP) told The News that if all political parties agree on introducing the proportional representation mechanism then his party would definitely support it.
“Our party always stood against horse-trading in the Senate election and would continue its struggle to make this constitutional process fair and transparent. So now is the time for the political parties to come up with a strong will instead of doing publicity stunts like introduction of a constitutional amendment after the announcement of schedule for the Senate elections,” he said.
He pointed out that a candidate who spent Rs30 million failed to win the Senate seat in 2012 because members of the political parties refused to sell their conscience, but now the ruling party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) fears that some of its members would not vote its own candidates.