news details |
|
|
| Army's call for free & fair poll holds democracy in Pakistan by slender thread | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 23: Is it within the parametres of democratic setup to leave it to the military authorities to suggest to a duly elected civilian Government to ensure "free, fair and timely" election in the country? Normally it cannot be part of the strong democratic traditions.
Yes, the Army can call for "free,fair and timely" elections under two circumstances. First, if the military authorities in that country have some devious plan of either taking over the reigns of the Government or installing men of their choice to head the Government they can give a call to the civilian establishment to ensure free,fair and timely elections.
This step would be aimed to convincing the world that since the civilian regime had intentions of rigging the poll and resort to unfair practices the Army had no other alternative but to take over the reigns of the Government or for installing a team of honest technocrats.
Secondly, the Army authorities may call upon the civilian regime to hold free,fair and timely elections when it is in league with the Government to get the elections delayed. The nexus between the party or parties in power and the military top brass is hammered out whenever the former wants to delay the elections to prolonged its stay in power. It is also formed whenever the ruling party finds that it may not be voted to power and hence would use various means to prolong its stay in power.
In the light of these two probabilities what does the military's call to the establishment in Islamabad to hold free,fair and timely elections mean ?
And the call to the civilian regime, led by the PPP, in Islamabad to hold free,fair and timely elections, the Army authorities have made it clear that they have been fully supporting "free, fair and timely" elections in Pakistan. They have reiterated that the Army has stood behind the PPP led regime during the last five years and there would be no political benefit if the elections were delayed.
Such a call has twin purpose, according to political analysts in Pakistan. Either the Army has got a hint about the PPP led Government's plan to delay the elections to the National Assembly or it has a plan to dislodge the elected Government as had happened in the past on several occasions.
These analysts talk of a third option behind the Army's call for free, fair and timely elections. They say may be the Army has plans of installing a Government of people, especially some technocrats, of their choice in Islamabad.
The current National Assembly is to complete its five-year term on March 16 and the next general elections are expected to be held by mid-May.
Suspicion behind Army's call for holding free,fair and timely elections has surfaced after the ruling PPP and the PML(N) have accused the security establishment of backing cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who has been blamed for trying to incite people to force the Government for bringing in political reforms and some revolution.
In fact the ruling PPP and its allies fear that the Army may have plans to derail the PP led Government in a bid to assume all political, administrative and legislative powers or to set up a Government of people of their choice. Whatever may be the real purpose behind Army's call for holding free,fair and timely elections the very structure of democratic practices in Pakistan hold by a thin thread. Nobody is sure about the future events.
None is prepared to predict whether the country will have another spell of a Government of elected representatives or the Zardari led Government may be replaced by the military rule. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
