THERE is outcry in a segment of the media which is part of the election strategy. To avoid its fallout, all concerned could have brought the 9th of May culprits to book to settle the issue amicably. No country can allow a handful of culprits to get away with it in the name of politics for vested stakes. Our democracy is under a crooked onslaught of populism, which merits stopping immediately with strict lawful measures. Pakistan is not the only country facing the uphill struggle. Populism has attacked democracy worldwide, including India, America and the UK.
The media reports also show that Pakistan’s robust democracy is delivering in complex geostrategic challenges and the law is taking its course to provide a level playing field. The petitions of political parties, including PTI, are being entertained in courts. The ECP has sent notices to 14 major political parties on intraparty elections. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (RCP) held a press conference seeking a level playing field on PTI security. Election watch groups, including Pildat (2nd Jan 2024) and Fafen (1st Jan 2024), have published their bleak apprehensions and demanded transparency. The ECP has approved a code of conduct for international observers and asked MoFA to invite them. PHC has restored the ECP order stripping PTI of the bat electoral symbol while cautioning about corruption by independent candidates. PTI says it will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court.
Reports also show that PTI legal teams are offering political replies to legal questions. It is a déjà vu of Trump’s legal team strategy, including wild, fact-free press conferences. Trump’s belief that the 2020 election was stolen is not a defense, according to the US Department of Justice (6th Nov 2023, Washington Post). A federal judge sanctions Trump attorneys for spreading false election fraud claims (25th Aug 2021, NBC News). Trump’s legal team cried vote fraud, but courts found none (22nd Nov 2022, AP). Trump’s defense strategy in the January 6th case may go beyond trying to delay the trial, court filings reveal (2nd Jan 2024, CNN).
In America, the Republican party has approached the US Supreme Court (with a 6-3 Republican majority) against a Colorado SC ruling which found Trump ineligible for the White House for violating his oath as a public office holder due to his role surrounding Jan 6. If the US SC justices focus on the Constitution instead of doing their job, Trump is likely to win the case because he is more than 35 years old and locally born. But it will be at the cost of democracy (2nd Jan 2024, MSNBC). It is the job of the SC to ensure that justice is done and seen to be done.
Trump is continuing with his formulaic game to undermine the rule of law. The audio tapes show how Republicans had planned well in advance to keep Trump in power. Trump’s staff has already warned that the former president’s re-election will end America’s democracy as the country knows it (‘A formulaic game’: former officials say Trump’s attacks threaten the rule of law, 1st Jan 2024, the Guardian). Colorado GOP’s appeal in SCOTUS has made the judiciary controversial and it has triggered the controversy of Bush v. Gore, which is going to threaten the credibility of the 2024 US presidential elections. He is gutting the entire democratic system with his $250M illegal campaign fund which he unlawfully distributed to his close allies (Trump’s raising of $250m for a fund that ‘did not exist’ suggests possible fraud 15-16th June 2022, the Guardian & NPR).
Over 1,100 rioters have been imprisoned last year for the attack on Jan 6. Many name Trump in their statements (NPR, 30th July 2023). The former Proud Boys leader, who was not present in the attack, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for orchestrating the far-right extremist group’s attack on the US Capitol in a failed bid to stop the transfer of presidential power after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. Two other leaders were handed 18-year sentences each after juries convicted them of seditious conspiracy and other charges (Former Proud Boys leader gets a record 22 years in prison for Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy. PBS, 5th Sept 2023).
International media is showing Indian political parties betting on influencers to swing votes in the 2024 general election. The influencers get €200 per tweet. BJP has decided to double its spending against Congress (2nd Jan 2024, DW News). BJP has received 712 crores rupees in party funding against 74 crores by the opposition (Are India’s elections free and fair? HW News English). It is equally true for America with no limit on party funding after the 2010 US SC judgment (Citizen United v. FEC Wikipedia, 20th Jan 2012, the Guardian).
Accordingly, Pakistan urgently requires a comprehensive strategy to resolve all disputes, particularly regarding the events of 9th May, amicably. It is imperative to overcome these challenges to safeguard democracy. Similar to the US Congress, American courts are now admitting crucial evidence such as audio tapes, emails and social media messages—some involving the spouse of a Supreme Court Justice—to demonstrate that the events of January 6th were a part of a concerted effort to overturn the 2020 Presidential election results and maintain Trump in power. These revelations also shed light on the utilization of legal teams, voter fraud, fabrication of electors, deliberate delays and the refusal of the Vice President to certify results. Shockingly, mainstream media involvement in these deceptive schemes has come to light, with Fox paying approximately $800 million in settlements following a series of lawsuits over their dissemination of election lies (19th April 2023, AP).
—The writer is senior political analyst based in Islamabad.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
