MMA, PPP & Other Political Parties
By Anila Ali
Karachi, Pakistan
MMA's (Mutahida Majlis-e-Amal) success looks gloomy; they may land up in the dock. Most people I spoke to in Karachi think that they are the biggest disappointment. MMA ministers are also rumored to have made hay while the sun was shining. That doesn't make honest voters like Rajab Ali Soomro feel good about a religious party like MMA. What choices are they left with then? ANP (Awami National Party) and PPP (Pakistan People's Party).
"We vote for whoever our village elders tell us to. It's just been done that way for years Even though I live in Karachi, I will vote for Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Larkana belongs to PPP. However, in Lyari we will see some tough competition," asserted Rajab Ali Soomro.
Having seen a short clip on Lyari, a PPP stronghold, I decided to actually visit it to see for myself. The excitement was not at all exuding from the people or the banners; it was quite jaded. There were fewer banners in the main town than the PPP banners around the Teen Talwar Chawk in Karachi; hardly any corner meetings, a few people had gathered around but the enthusiasm was visibly missing. People that I talked to claimed that the voters are less involved this time round and after immense effort very few voters are turning out to the meetings.
Rumors are current here that there are dissident elements amongst PPP. PPP has been strongly denying them. Over the last few years, the popularity of the PPP has seen a steady decline. The reason seems to be the lack of apathy and a nonchalant attitude of the PPP leaders. Benazir's self-exile is a clear example of the indifference of the leaders.
The bulk of the electorate in Pakistan is skeptical about the rosy promises being made to the voters by the politicians contesting the elections. Their memories are still fresh in regard to the allegations of misuse of government money by Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif. Many old politicians going back to the voters for their vote in the elections are frequently asked what will they do for the well-being of the voters after they get into government offices as ministers. The politicians have a hard time convincing the voters that they would do better for them in office this time. "Such rosy promises do not tempt us." said some voters in the Defense area of Karachi.
The most organized poll machinery is that of the MQM - Mutahida Qaumi Movement - whose boss lives in London and pulls the electoral strings form there. He has a large vote bank and he's known to tell his rivals that the MQM is unbeatable in the election race in Pakistan. Politicians and the media are warning the government against any rigging of the polls.
Karachi's daily Dawn in an editorial entitled "Rigging and Agitation" warned all the elements in the election arena to follow the ground rules of honesty and fair play in the polling and not to resort to rigging but most political observers believe that rigging of polls is an old story in Pakistan and some of it may be repeated by the political parties and contestants this time too. Nevertheless most political parties have lots of wealth which they want to spend on vote buying and rigging of polls. President Musharraf who is overseeing the elections seems determined to make them fair and honest, specially because hundreds of foreign observers are coming to Pakistan to monitor the polls.
An interesting feature of the forthcoming elections is the large number of women candidates for election to the assemblies. Some leaders of women's organizations are campaigning very well to woe the voters. It is therefore, expected that new assemblies will have more women members this time than in the past.
Many overseas Pakistanis are coming home to help their relatives in the elections. It is also rumored that bickering have sprouted in some of the ruling families and the voters are unhelpful to many feudal lords. It will be interesting to see what will be the outcome of the January 8 Elections in Pakistan. It's important for the survival of democracy that the elections should be fair and free and should not be hostage to violence and money.
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