Intriguing postponement of bye-elections
IN a highly intriguing and mysterious development, the Election
Commission on Monday announced postponement of bye-elections slated for
June 18, pushing the date further away for two months. It cited
precarious law and order situation and Federal and Provincial budgets in
June as the factors behind the decision.
Political observers believe that in the backdrop of severe and universal
condemnation of the move, those who are supposed to be in the know of
things have feigned ignorance and joined the chorus of criticism. As per
the version of the NWFP Chief Minister and there is no reason to doubt
him, it was Advisor on Interior Rehman Malik who engineered a request
from the province for postponement but it is very unusual of a person of
the stature of an Advisor to manage the postponement on his own. The
analysts, therefore, point out that it is next to impossible that such a
vital decision is taken in a big vacuum and in a questionable manner.
The initial reaction of PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari was also
somewhat vague, as he announced to support the PML(N) if the party went
to the court to challenge the decision of the Election Commission,
knowing fully that the PML(N) would never plead any such thing with the
present judicial set-up. There are some circles that believe that the
entire move was aimed at preventing Mian Shahbaz Sharif’s entry into the
Punjab Assembly for apparent reasons. Anyhow, it is quite obvious that
the development has badly shaken the coalition and highlighted lack of
coordination or mistrust among its partners. As for the justification
advanced for postponement, no one would buy the argument that the law
and order situation was not satisfactory enough to hold the elections in
June. Every one knows that the general elections were held at a time
when there was almost daily suicide attacks and bombings here and there
but the situation has changed entirely after assumption of office by the
democratic Government. In the NWFP, the authorities concerned are busy
giving final touches to the peace agreement with militants and there is
no extraordinary situation warranting postponement in any of the
constituencies. Another important point is that in a democratic
dispensation it is the Prime Minister and leaders of the political
parties who make such vital decisions and one fails to understand how
the announcement was made without their knowledge and approval. The
situation would, however, become clear from the action that the
Government takes to rectify the situation. |
