‘Senate ka bazaar’

ISLAMABAD: Some 131 candidates remain in the running for 52 Senate seats, which is ‘good news’ for MNAs and MPAs, who will be vulnerable and available for the candidates and some may be ready to switch loyalties on the polling day, though in a secretive manner. So, in other words “Senate ka bazaar” will be open round the clock, till March 5 and some votes will be available for interested candidates. What a shame.
All this has made the Senate elections like a “mandi.” I am a witness to many such elections and would not be surprised if some upsets take place in these elections too. After all, corruption is a way of life in our society and we are not ready to reject it.
The very democratic values are at stake. Military dictators often adopted corrupt practices to prolong their rule, but democrats adopt these practices to pollute the system. We blame politicians because they were the ones who could have brought about a change for the better; but they instead have institutionalised corruption. Undemocratic parties can’t preach democracy.
The next three days will be important as the government will find it difficult to get the 22nd amendment, aimed at curbing the horse trading, passed through Parliament. PML (N) has already decided to take action against all those party MPAs, who will violate party discipline. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf also intends to do the same, but that may not stop their MPAs not to cast their votes.
But corruption often starts much before elections, general or Senate. It starts when the parties invite applications from those interested. Most parties ask them to send a sum of at least Rs50, 000, along with the applications, which is non-refundable. The second phase starts when “interviews” by the party’s parliamentary board take place. What happens in between is another story. “I know I won’t get a ticket but I have applied because at least in this way I will be able to meet my leader,” said one PPP worker.
After initial interviews the board short-lists the candidates and then hold another round of interviews. Here, some candidates are asked some critical questions particularly as to what would they do if parties are in a difficult situation. They are asked how many votes they can “get” on their own. This becomes the criterion for the nomination. This is the second step of corruption.
Only MQM and Jamaat-e-Islami decide independently and don’t adopt this method. For the first time, MQM awarded tickets to two party leaders - Barrister Saif and Mian Atiq - who belong to KPK and Rawalpindi respectively. There were some differences in the party over awarding tickets to “outsiders”. PML (N) also faced similar criticism in Punjab, when they awarded tickets to Nihal Hashmi, certainly a party worker but from Karachi. Questions were also raised about Rehman Malik, who belongs to Sialkot.
JI, since the days of late Qazi Hussain Ahmad, has allowed its Amir to keep the dual office. Thus Qazi saib remained a senator and now Siraj ul Haq is also contesting the Senate elections. Some old JI supporters believe the party has not set a good tradition by allowing its Amir to hold two offices.
Coming back to different phases of allotting tickets and how the “horse trading” takes place, one will have to see how the “billionaires” get into Parliament. Just go through the present list of candidates and you may find quite “rich people,” now looking for “extra votes.”
So, where do we stand today? In my earlier analysis on Senate elections, I wrote that unless a consensus is reached among all the parties on “sharing formula”, which again is not an ideal way of “fair elections,” it would be difficult to check “horse trading”.
In Sindh, PPP and MQM, who already had reached an understanding on the Senate elections and on running a coalition government, found no difficulty in reaching a consensus on sharing formula and as a result four technocrats, two each from the two parties, got elected unopposed. With only 12 candidates in the field for 11 seats, there is no chance that votes could be purchased in Sindh. PPP also tried to convince PML (F) on adjustment formula but failed. Now, how long this honeymoon will last between the two parties, keeping in view their bitter past, is any body’s guess. The problem may arise over the next phase when MQM will give the names for the ministries. How much share will they get? Will there be another written agreement over the 60-40 quota? All this may be decided between March 5 and March 15, when the election of chairman and deputy chairman will be held.
Thus, the real horse-trading may take place in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa, Balochistan and in FATA. I feel sorry for PPP’s Nadeem Afzal Chan who is contesting from Punjab, where PPP hardly has enough votes in the Assembly.
Therefore, it will not be difficult to find out who can get into the Senate through unfair means. Yes, there are first, second and third preferences, but why do MNAs and MPAs violate party discipline? It is not the question of free will of any MNA and MPA, but of party culture. They should back the party on the basis of ideology and commitment.
Senate is the Upper House of the Parliament. Its chairman acts as acting president of Pakistan. Without Senate no law can be passed, which shows the importance of this most prestigious institution in the country. For years, there have been accusations that people spend “millions of rupees” to get the seat and then market is open to purchase votes.
On Saturday, when the final list appeared and parties announced their candidates, it showed that the parties did not nominate people keeping the very spirit of the Senate in view. The purpose of equal representation of all the four provinces has been compromised.
Therefore, even if the 22nd amendment is passed (which looks very difficult), it would check corruption partly, as tickets have already been allotted.
Corruption is now a way of life in our society. Our politicians often complain why media only accuses them of corruption. They are right. Corruption is everywhere, in every institution, department and profession including the media. But it is the politicians who set the direction for any nation. It is the rulers who are supposed to make law and bring honest people to the assemblies.
From 1988 to 2013, media has made corruption an issue in Pakistan. At least, four governments were dismissed on charges of corruption based on media reports. But, those dismissed were never prosecuted.
Corruption was not a big issue in politics till 70s, though former President Ayub Khan’s government had pursued a policy to corrupt the media.
Decline in the ideological politics has not only damaged the right and left wing politics in Pakistan, but also provided space to the corrupt politicians, who now control many parties and for decades establishment used “unfair means” to change the government. The famous Mehran Bank case did expose some aspects of corrupt practices, but a lot remains to be exposed.