The European Union (EU) has once again reiterated that for creating an environment conducive to holding free and fair elections in Pakistan, all political detainees, including judges and lawyers, must immediately be released. Such a measure would not only restore the confidence of the public, it would also be essential for ushering in true democracy in Pakistan. “The transparency of the electoral process will be essential to restoring public confidence and ultimate progress towards national reconciliation. This can be promoted through an open and consultative election administration, the strict neutrality of caretaker governments at the national and provincial levels and freedom for the media to cover all aspects of the election process,” the EU statement said. Last month during President Musharraf’s European tour, EU’s foreign policy chief Javier Solana had told the president that the February 18 polls must be “free, fair and secure” and their conduct would determine the level of future EU cooperation. The president had then assured the EU that the elections would be free, fair and transparent. Despite the president’s assurance, all major opposition parties contesting the February 18 polls fear rigging.

Even the Bush administration has admitted that free and fair polls in Pakistan “is not going to be easy”. Coming it as it did from the Bush administration, this concern cannot be taken lightly. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has gone to the extent of saying the US should keep pressuring Pakistan’s government to hold free and fair elections. The US’s ‘concern’, however, has failed to remove misconceptions prevailing among a vast section of people in Pakistan about the US’s regard for democracy in the country. Many experts even believe that the Bush administration would turn a blind eye if rigging takes place during the upcoming elections. The good point is that the dispensation in the country seems to understands that there has to be an election that “inspires confidence” in the people. It is of utmost necessity that there should be no deviation from this commitment. In all the three so-called stages of rigging – pre, poll, post – care should be exercised so that the polls do not tar the credibility of the polls as well as compromise the legitimacy of the coming government. In the phase of pre-poll, the opposition parties have complained about some deviations. Particularly, the local governments’ alleged involvement in supporting the campaigns of the candidates of the previous ruling party and expression of support from the president for them have drawn protests.

Now that the polls are nearing, the balloting and the results should be impeccably transparent. Given the past controversies triggered because of loopholes in vote casting and result announcement, the contestants will keenly follow the process of voting and declaration f results. In this regard, the change introduced in the result declaration procedure is a positive move to allay the apprehensions of the candidates that their results may be tinkered with. With the incidents of violence enhancing the possibility of a low turnout of voters, the perception that the polls results have been subtly engineered could ignite the powder keg of the opposition’s mistrust. The government must, therefore, not relent in its effort to ensure free and credible polls.


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