The Right Candidate

Nothing ends well that is not started properly. That is my experience in life. So when I discovered that Allama Tahirul Qadri’s long-march is meant to ensure that electoral reforms are done to ensure that candidates for the next general elections in Pakistan will comply with the requirements of the constitution I got interested. I should thank the gentleman that if it was not for his hue and cry I would never had read article 62 of the constitution which goes as follows:

[62.

Qualifications for membership of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament): (1) A person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) unless- (a) he is a citizen of Pakistan; (b) he is, in the case of the National Assembly, not less than twenty -five years of age and is enrolled as a voter in any electoral roll in- (i) any part of Pakistan, for election to a general seat or a seat reserved for non-Muslims; and (ii) any area in a Province from which she seeks membership for election to a seat reserved for women. (c) he is, in the case of Senate, not less than thirty years of age and is enrolled as a voter in any area in a Province or, as the case may be, the Federal Capital or the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, from where he seeks membership; (d) he is of good character and is not commonly known as one who violates Islamic Injunctions; (e) he has adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings and practises obligatory duties prescribed by Islam as well as abstains from major sins ; (f) he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law; (g) he has not, after the establishment of Pakistan, worked against the integrity of the country or opposed the ideology of Pakistan. (2) The disqualifications specified in paragraphs (d) and (e) shall not apply to a person who is a non-Muslim, but such a person shall have good moral reputation.]

The intention of those who wrote these words was indeed noble and quite commensurate with an Islamic Republic. It really defines the agenda of the Election Commission for verification of minimum qualifications of the candidates. If I am not wrong a number of other requirements such as the submission of asset lists and income tax returns have been added by the EC to reinforce the spirit of the above clause.

However, it seems that the means to translate the spirit of clause (e) in to measurable action has evaded the EC so far. The only way of determining a man’s knowledge of any subject is by testing it and it seems that an essential part of the qualification process for election aspirants should be a written test of their knowledge of Islamic teachings. It is never too late to start a good tradition.

It should not be too difficult for the ECP to organize a nation-wide election prequalification examination for all aspirants of national and provincial elections, positions as president and governor or even advisors with a common question paper containing a sizeable number of MCQs about Islamic teachings prepared by reputable Islamic scholars. The passing score should be kept high, say about 80% and I would suggest that non-Muslim candidates also take this test. After all they have a right of vote on all legislation and as far as I know there is no religion that prevents its followers from studying the principles of other religions.

I hope that I shall not need to organize a long-march to get myself heard by the honorable Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan. Frankly speaking, I don’t have the resources for it and I would not mind if someone else takes up the mantle.

Pakistan Elections

 

The five-year term of the incumbent parliament in Pakistan completes in March, 2013 and the president’s tenure in September.  Preparations are a foot for the next general elections in May, with a highly regarded ex-chief justice as chief election commissioner who is committed to holding free and fair elections and a yet to be announced caretaker government which is anybody’s guess. However, most serious observers of Pakistani politics are skeptical about the fairness of the coming election while Mr. Zardari who is also the co-chairman of the ruling People’s Party and effectively the man who pulls all the strings remains in office. Unfortunately Mr. Zardari is involved in a money-laundering case in Switzerland and is cited in a number murder and other criminal cases in Pakistan which cannot be tried due to presidential immunity.  If his party which is extremely unpopular due to gross miss-governance, rampant corruption, power and fuel shortages and spiraling inflation over the last five years loses the next election, life may become very unkind for Mr. Zardari. Anyone in his shoes would try to rig the elections in favor of his party and there are indications to that effect. The office of the Federal Ombudsman was kept vacant for the past two and a half years and thousands of complaints against civil servants were allowed to pile up. Recently a friend of Mr. Zardari who is being tipped as the second or third most corrupt man in the country has been appointed as Federal Ombudsman. There is common speculation that he would be used to persuade the erring civil servants to influence the election results in favor of PP and its allies.

In this backdrop the sudden appearance of the Canadian resident Pakistani Muslim scholar Dr. Tahirul Qadri and his campaign of a long march to Islamabad to press for electoral reforms seems to be really an effort to create circumstances in which Mr. Zardari may be forced to quit the presidency and allow free and fair elections to be held. One expects considerable turmoil in the coming weeks but it would be a small price to pay if the desired result is achieved. If PP wins the next general elections by foul means it may plunge the country into a bloody and bitter civil war and revolution that may see many landlord families under the guillotine.

Perhaps the best course would be for Mr. Zardari to resign voluntarily. If he does that paving the way for free and fair elections, continuation of democracy and new opportunities for progress and prosperity, the nation may feel grateful to him and forgive and forget his past actions.