Transparent candidates

The step taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan to place the details of assets of candidates as revealed in their nominations papers on their website is a positive one in the eyes of many analysts. There can be hope that, by bringing details of the wealth and holdings of all candidates before ordinary voters, greater openness and transparency will be created. In the past the Election Commission had placed only limited details regarding candidates’ holdings on its website and after the 2013 election removed these as well. This followed an objection raised in the last parliament from all major parties that openly revealing the accounts of candidates or their wealth amounted to an infringement into their privacy and also left them open to crime such as kidnapping for ransom or other offences because of their disclosure of such information. An electoral reforms package brought in the last parliament had altered the nomination form for candidates, limiting the details they were expected to make known to the ECP while filing papers. This change was challenged in the Islamabad High Court and the matter taken up by the Supreme Court, which ordered candidates to submit a separate affidavit with their nomination papers listing all their assets.

The scrutiny of assets by the ECP is also being facilitated by the fact that details from a variety of sources can now be easily collected by it. This process may also show up discrepancies between disclosures made by the same candidates in the past and their present holdings. The ECP plans to place all the information on its website so that it is easily accessible to anyone who wishes to know the facts about persons contesting elections to the provincial and national assemblies.

It is true that candidates, unaccustomed to so much openness or to sharing information with the public, may not appreciate this measure. However, it is clear the compilation of the information on assets will make the true standing of candidates far more transparent and thereby brighten up hidden aspects of our electoral process. As the process continues, candidates will undoubtedly learn that honesty is an important part of public representation. It may take time for some of them to accept this reality and for them to put all their assets out in the open. This step will of course also mean paying taxes and accounting for their wealth. It may not then be immediately welcomed by political parties and their candidates. But the general public will undoubtedly appreciate it and in the longer run it can only have positive impact on the election process. The 2018 election should then act as the first step towards this.