The 22nd Amendment

Amending a country’s constitution is a very serious undertaking and should not be taken lightly. The PML-N and the PTI have become unlikely bed fellows in pushing for the 22nd Amendment to the constitution. The interest shown by these two parties to pass this amendment is not entirely altruistic.
The real rub seems to be the lack of confidence the two parties have in their MPAs rather than the desire to thwart horse-trading in the Senate elections. The use of money to buy votes cannot, of course, be condoned but the perfunctory manner in which the amendment is being pushed is also not proper. The amendment if carried through will only make a party leader even more dictatorial because those lawmakers who refuse to toe the line of their parties would stand disqualified. The prestige and autonomy of the Senate will also be marginalised because it will be filled by favourites of party leaders as against those with merit and genuine popularity in the party. Direct elections to the Senate or proportional representation of party vote in a particular province can be explored as possible alternatives.
Akbar Jan Marwat
Islamabad