Senate elections
With the
announcement by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of the Senate
elections schedule, all the rumours, speculations, kite-flying and resultant
uncertainty seem set to be put to rest. The election for 52 of the total 104 seats
in the upper house would be held on March 3, 2018. The incumbent members on
these seats are retiring on March 11, with some of them facing difficulties in
returning to the house. The ECP will issue the detailed schedule for the Senate
elections on February 2 but has seen fit to provide the media with the approved
procedure, perhaps with a view to scotching the whirlwind of speculation
surrounding this election. According to the shared schedule, the returning
officer will issue a public notice on February 3 inviting nomination papers,
which can be filed till February 6. After completion of the scrutiny of the
nomination papers by February 9, a list of valid candidates will be issued on
February 15. Candidates can withdraw their nominations by February 16. The
newly elected Senators will take their oath of office on March 12. The Senate
comprises 23 members from each of the four provinces, eight from FATA and four
from Islamabad Capital Territory. Of each province’s quota of 23 seats, 14 are
general and nine reserved seats. Of the latter, four seats are reserved for
women, four for technocrats and one for a non-Muslim. Half of the Senators having
a total term of six years retire every three years. The provincial Assemblies
vote for their representatives in accordance with the system of proportional
representation by means of a single transferable vote. Senators for Islamabad
are elected by the National Assembly while FATA Senators are elected by the
MNAs from FATA. Notable amongst those retiring on March 11 are Senate Chairman
Raza Rabbani, whose stewardship of the upper house has gained greater respect
for the Senate, its functioning and views. Apart from Rabbani, the list
includes former finance minister Ishaq Dar, PPP’s Leader of the Opposition
Aitzaz Ahsan, Taj Haider and Farhatullah Babar, PTI’s Azam Khan Swati and MQM’s
Colonel (retd) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi. These heavyweights will be part of the
list of retirees that includes all four PML-Q Senators, nine of the PML-N’s 27
members, 18 of the PPP’s 26, five of the ANP’s six, four of the MQM’s eight,
two BNP-A, three of the five JUI-F, five of the 10 independents, and one each
of the PTI and PML-F.
Now that the die
is cast for the Senate elections, it is time to lay all the rumours and conspiracy
theories about these elections being sabotaged to deny the PML-N a possible
majority in the upper house to rest. It goes without saying that if the PML-N
also wins the general elections in August this year, its ability to have
legislation go through both houses with relative ease will be enhanced. But
even more important, the fact that the schedule indicates a continuity of the democratic
electoral process is cause for satisfaction. Our history provides ample proof
of the negative consequences of truncating the natural evolution of democracy,
an enterprise that takes time and patience. The upcoming election could, according
to some reports, throw open the floodgates of horse-trading, a malign
phenomenon witnessed in past Senate elections too. Already, the abrupt ousting
of the PML-N-led coalition government in Balochistan headed by former chief
minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri has engendered much speculation about whether
this was an establishment-driven move to abort the Senate elections or owed
itself to behind-the-scenes manoeuvring by the PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari in
retaliation for the real and perceived grievances against Nawaz Sharif and the
PML-N. Be that as it may, and despite concerns about a fair and free Senate
election according to the conscience of the electoral college, there is much
cause for satisfaction in the practical refutation of all the conspiracy
theories doing the rounds and the democratic electoral process proceeding on
time and according to the constitutionally mandated schedule.
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