Strategizing Elections

Strategizing Elections

A Public Message

By Muhammad Arif Tangi

Electioneering in Pakistan has remained the sole prerogative of a few elites or those who have been working behind the curtain through intelligence agencies. In past we had witnessed huge pre-poll riggings and engineered elections. Such circumstances always led to political uncertainty and cheap bargaining among the political elites, the so-called ideological parties whether of the right or of the left and especially the winning horses who always attracted the highest bidder.

In order democracy to flourish, the newly emerged powerful media has to take the lead by openly debating the possibility of holding elections at all. It needs to be clearly communicated to all corners that any ambiguity about holding elections might seriously jeopardize the democratic process and could possibly end in giving mileage to one group at the expense of the other. Moreover, the political parties must ensure that early or delayed elections favour none but the enemies of democracy and any attempt to question elections would help nobody. Neither an already labeled failed state could afford another failed attempt to install another failed government in office. This is like now or never situation for democracy and good governance in the country.

In democracies political parties contest elections. A party must have an ideology and a clear vision in case it wins election. The elections process must involve all and sundry and even a little interest from an ordinary man in the street would greatly contribute to a relatively stable polity in the country. It is the responsibility of the politicians to speak to the masses in terms of issues rather than defaming democracy by brandishing the opponents. A party needs to mobilize its workers before mobilizing the masses.

When we talk about elections everything come to the masses. Without a genuine interest or a complete disregard for the process would likely to help anti-people groups in power. In the end, all governments seek legitimacy from the masses.