These past few weeks have been quite rough for the government. The PTI-led federal government is also facing difficulties from allies after the opposition over the use of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in elections, forcing the government to postpone a joint sitting of parliament.
The session had been convened to obtain parliamentary endorsement for using EVMs and giving overseas Pakistanis the right to vote online. The government feared that the required majority for the passage of the bills would not be obtained in the joint sitting of Parliament as the coalition parties refused to vote.
The announcement about the postponement of joint session came from Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry through a tweet hours after Prime Minister Imran Khan presided over a meeting of parliamentarians belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and allied parties, which was attended by over 150 members. The PM asked the lawmakers to participate in the legislation business considering it a jihad.
Meanwhile, Fawad Chaudhry asserted that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has once again been asked to contact the opposition so that a joint bill can be introduced. The possibility of the government engaging with the opposition parties, with whom the prime minister has been on the warpath, in a meaningful manner to allay their concerns about the proposed reforms appears remote.
The government is currently trying to appease all stakeholders on EVMs. PTI was under severe criticism since the day it decided to use the electronic voting machine. The premier has rightly stated that democracy begins with free and fair elections. However, it’s also a fact that no democracy can survive without a vibrant opposition.
Both the opposition and ECP, which were severely criticised by PM Imran in his addresses, have valid objections to the introduction of EVMs and internet voting. It is imperative that the government should strive for free, fair and transparent elections and carry out electoral reforms to strengthen democracy by removing the objections of the stakeholders and opposition to the electronic voting machine.
