The prime minister has kicked up a hornet’s nest by stating that the elections will be held based on new census results. The statement comes just days before the government is expected to step down and hand over the reins to a caretaker setup.
Just days before the tenure ends, the government is considering summoning a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) – the first since the coalition government took control – and releasing the census results. The prime minister believes the elections will not be delayed but remains oblivious to the complexities ahead.
The government wants to shift the responsibility to the ECP by handing over the arduous task of the delimitation of constituencies, new voters lists, and holding the next polls. It is also unclear when the elections will be held; the government maintains it is the ECP’s prerogative to hold the polls.
The prime minister’s comments are also a deviation from assertions by party leaders who said the elections will be on the basis of the 2017 census. Federal ministers have stated that holding elections within 90 days based on new census results are impossible. Other coalition partners including the PPP and JUI-F are also not in agreement that new census data should be used for the elections.
The MQM-P is the only major party stressing conducting elections on new census results. The party has been critical of the census and has claimed it will not accept the election results held on the old enumeration. It is highly unlikely that the government has been in a fix over the MQM’s demands. Yet, the prime minister pulled a surprise after claiming the elections will be held based on the new census.
It is less than two weeks before the government completes its tenure. If the census results are notified, the ECP will have to conduct fresh delimitations. This could take a few months and an election delay is inevitable. There could be other legal hurdles and the matter could land with the Supreme Court. The tenure of the caretaker government will also be extended amid the complexities.
The controversy has sparked an unnecessary panic in the country. It seems to be part of a conspiracy to delay elections. Rather than undermining the democratic system, the government should create a conducive environment to ensure that elections are held on schedule and in a free and transparent manner.
