President Alvi has suggested holding general elections on November 6, placing the country into another constitutional crisis. The president held meetings with the law minister for consultations on the elections. The law minister maintained that announcing the election is the sole prerogative of the ECP after recent amendments in the election laws.
Amid the intense speculations, the caretaker prime minister said the president is not empowered to announce the election date and the ECP would make the decision. He said the uncertainty regarding the elections should end as the interim government has no intention to prolong its tenure. This is precisely the biggest concern for political forces that the election might be delayed.
Although only consultations are being held, it needs to be seen if the president unilaterally announces the election date against the advice of the law minister, attorney general, and the president’s own legal team. An abrupt announcement could plunge the country into a new political and legal crisis and even create economic uncertainty at a time when the economy is showing a slight chance of recovery.
The decision will certainly place the president at loggerheads with the ECP. The CEC earlier snubbed an invite from the president to hold consultation on the matter, calling them unnecessary and maintained it was their responsibility to announce the polls. During the impasse over the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, President Alvi had fixed election date on May 14. However, the decision and never implemented.
The president has completed this five-year tenure but continues to hold office. His political party, the PTI sent a letter a day before his term expired to announce the date for the next elections. The PTI maintains that the president can set the election date if the assembly is dissolved earlier. It is perhaps after receiving the letter that the president thought it was his responsibility to end the uncertainty and ensure a smooth transition of power.
Since the president has announced holding elections, the matter could certainly end up in the Supreme Court which is set to have a new Chief Justice. There is certainly a cloud of mystery over the next election. However, it is necessary to end the uncertainty rather than heading for another crisis.
