The local bodies legacy

We may be in the midst of a democratic transition in Pakistan, but political parties appear to be hell bent to act against their own interests. The PML-N-led National Assembly has passed a bill to hold party-less local bodies elections in Islamabad. Not only did the PML-N act against the agreement in the Charter of Democracy, it has negated the spirit of the constitutional requirement in the 18th Amendment to devolve governance to the lowest levels. While the PPP managed to get 33 percent representation for women, five percent each for peasants, non-Muslims and youth, and two percent for technocrats, the PML-N refused to concede two major amendments which would have allowed political parties to nominate candidates. What was even more amusing is that Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Saeed seemed to take credit for imitating non-party local bodies elections in the 1980s, followed by non-party elections to the national and provincial assemblies – happily saying that ‘such (party-less) elections were held under Ziaul Haq’. The worrying thing was that no one from the ruling party seemed to take him down.
The PPP resisted the move and may still get its way if the Senate refuses to ratify the legislation. Leader of Opposition Khursheed Shah did well to remember that the PML-N had attempted to get non-party polls approved in Punjab, unlike the other three provinces. The fact is that the PML-N prefers to rule via the bureaucracy and likes to keep local politics in check via elaborate patronage structures that connect to its MPAs and MNAs. If another political party were to win a majority at the local level, this would cause fissures in its governance structure. Fears over the PML-N’s role are also a reason why the PAT has already filed a petition against Saad Rafiq regarding possible rigging on the eve of the cantonment board elections. The Supreme Court has asked provincial governments to ensure all local bodies elections are held before September 2015. It is disheartening to see political parties wavering on a commitment they themselves agreed to. True democracy in Pakistan would have nothing to fear from party-led local bodies elections. One is sometimes left to wonder whether 30 years of non-democratic rule have taught anything about democracy to Pakistan’s political parties.