Kalim A Siddiqui
THE fact is that the present democratic system has not met the expectations of the masses and has not taken the country forward rather gone backwards and is deep in corrupt practices and bad governance. Demand of constitutional changes and electoral reforms does not mean that democracy is being derailed instead if serious steps are taken to implement reforms it will strengthen democracy rather than leading it to a situation when it is achieved through other undesirable means. In my humble opinion, following reforms are needed to achieve our dreams that founder of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah has envisaged: 1. Have Presidential form of democracy in which entire nation elects the President with Executive Authority through a direct voting along with National Assembly members from same constituencies of the country. 2. Elected President forms a small cabinet either from parliament members (National Assembly or Senate) or outside as finds appropriate. Duration of the Government is not more than 4 years. Allow only two terms (maximum like America). 3. Have at least 15 to 20 provinces and more as population grows. Each province may have the same population (approximately). However, this can vary due to demographics.
4. Provinces have the maximum autonomy to manage their affairs through local population with an effective monitoring system. 5. The Provinces elect Governors with executive authority through direct voting like its members for provincial legislative assembly. Elected Governor forms a small cabinet to run the affairs either from provincial assembly members or outside as finds appropriate. 6. The country becomes federation of all the Provinces with foreign affairs, defence, currency, communication & Infrastructure and any other role Provinces entrust on them. 7. Senate will comprise all the federating units i.e. Provinces, each one having equal representation. Senators are elected by Provinces through direct voting. 8. Local Governments have political, financial and legislative powers including law enforcement authority in their jurisdiction in line with all developed democracies in the world. Mayor is elected with direct voting. 9. Arrangements are made on an emergency basis so that all future elections are done through biometric machines to ensure genuine voting at each election, may it be Federal, Provincial or Local Governments. Overseas Pakistanis are also allowed to electronically vote. Of course, Election Commission has to be non-politicized with autonomy to deliver and satisfy masses on the transparency of its processes and balloting.
10. NADRA data base should be used to develop electoral voting lists for citizens above 18 years of age and abolish preparation of a separate voting lists mechanism henceforth. This will remove duplication of work which has been a source of massive irregularities. Additionally, voting lists will be ready at all times for any cut of date needed. 11.A complete restructuring is required to our Judiciary, FBR, Law Enforcement Agencies/Police, Taxation, Education, Health, Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs), Zakat, etc., to root out corruption, inefficiency and promote environment of good governance. Automated and Lean Federal/ Provincial/Local structures are developed for productivity, good governance, efficiency and cost reduction.
12. Nothing but the merit-based system is implemented across the country for Federal, Provincial & Local Governments. 13. Federal Income Tax is to be paid by everyone irrespective of the source of income provided falls under tax payable bracket (no exemption to any segment of population). Every citizen above 18 years of age submit a tax return irrespective whether tax is payable or not. Initially Government can create facilitation centres to assist people in filing tax returns free of cost. Tax number can be same as citizens’ CNIC number for easy traceability. 14. Governments must not be doing business and should get out of it immediately and confine itself to legislative and oversight of national/provincial affairs.
15. Regulatory authorities must not be composed of retired Government employees rather consist of technocrats, professionals and business community representatives. It should not be just another Government Department but run independently under its Board more like a private entity. As such, all of them are to be restructured accordingly. 16. Social Security Services (SSS) should be restructured and made vibrant to assist the poor in true sense through electronic system not manual. No need to run Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) or Ahsaas Program separately instead should be merged into SSS. 17. High quality vocational training centers should be established to train the vast uneducated masses initially free of cost to make them useful citizens who are then able to earn their livelihood and pay taxes to the Govt.
18. Undertake massive infrastructure work that utilizes local material to develop the country on an emergency footing. This will provide work to hundreds and thousands of unemployed masses. 19.Land reforms should be undertaken to abolish large land holdings from the country in true sense. Lands should be distributed in small portions for maximum utilization and production for local and export markets. 20. Develop agriculture-based industries in rural areas to produce value added goods for internal and external markets. This will provide enormous employment opportunities to rural population and reduce uncontrolled migration toward urban areas that is creating a lot of civic, law & order issues. This should be done ideally in private sector but initially to create model. This could be done as public-private partnership with management bestowed to private sector (not Government).
—The writer is a former MD/CEO of Pakistan State Oil, former President of Byco Petroleum (Marketing).
