The Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – an alliance of opposition parties – once again rejected the government’s proposed electoral reforms, including the use of electronic voting machine (EVM), calling such measures unilateral and in contradiction with the Constitution.
PML-N Senior Vice President Shahid Khaqan Abbasi accused the government of “planning to steal” the next elections through electoral reforms. The statement came days after Prime Minister Imran Khan invited the opposition to hold talks with the government on electoral reforms.
For far too long, elections in Pakistan have always been controversial due to allegations and counter-allegations of stealing mandates, rigging and manipulation. The losing political parties cry foul and accuse the winning side of tampering with the results.
The 2018 general elections were no exception. Since then, the opposition has been terming the incumbent government ‘selected’. Being mindful of the problem, the government has started to reform the election mechanism. To do that, among other things, the idea of electronic voting machines (EVMs) is also advocated to overcome the loopholes.
Such machines had been tested by several other countries in the past, but they had to be discarded because of technical glitches. The Election Commission of Pakistan has also objected to some of the government’s measures. The government must take all stakeholders into confidence over the proposed reforms and address the reservations of the opposition.
Meanwhile, the opposition alliance should dial down its inflammatory rhetoric and get down to the business of negotiating with the government on the floor of the two houses to make the process as transparent as possible. The need of the hour is to make these reforms with consensus.
A rigging-proof system, which cannot be manipulated through technical delays, is possible if political stakeholders sit together to make it so. This unpleasant and dangerous trend of tainted elections must end, as it steals the right of the electorate to indicate their choice.
