President of Pakistan Ahmed Bilal Mehboob
Legislative Development and Transparency Institute,
Highlighted in the November 12 issue of Daily Dawn.
He drew attention to the most important issue in the article.
Lack of interest in Pakistan’s political party charter
Parties under the title “Charter Calling”
He drew parallels with the statutes of the two major political parties
Parties in Britain. This effort is admirable and deserved.
It attracted the attention of not only political party leaders in Pakistan but also the responsibility.
He is one of the guardians of Pakistan’s political landscape.
However, we think it is insufficient to focus on this issue while taking the British political system as a reference.
it is directed only at the Conservative Party and the Labor Party;
The Liberal Democrats do not offer a comprehensive analysis. Liberal Democrats,
These communities, whose roots are deeply embedded in British society, also play an important role. They
The Charter provides an excellent example that could be detailed in a future column.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob correctly identified the importance of contracts in Pakistan
The political system emphasized that this was more of a ceremonial process in past elections
practice rather than a practical exercise. A significant part of political parties
Voters don’t pay much attention to reading election manifestos, making it difficult
to form an opinion on whether to vote for a particular party. It can
It was true in previous elections, but the rising middle class, the rise of social media and
With the increase in the number of young voters, voting dynamics began to change.
Unfortunately, traditional slogans, lofty promises, politics of targeting opponents and
Discussing issues with voters only during elections does not meet voters’ demands.
voter. Voters are demanding more participation. It’s a pity that more than half
Registered voters choose not to vote, as evidenced by an average of 45% voters
Turnout in the last eight elections has depended in part on traditional practices of mainstream politics.
politics.
We look forward to the upcoming elections where there will be more than 21 million potential new voters.
Political parties’ information about themselves and their preferences are mostly
social media is limited. Carefully crafted and effectively communicated selection
Conditions can especially bridge the gap between voters and political parties.
Approximately 57 million young voters make up more than 45% of registered voters.
Therefore, political parties need to pay more attention to the election statute.
The following six aspects are crucial to creating an effective electoral statute:
Bottom-Up Consultative Approach: Political parties in Pakistan generally
participation of lower-level organizations and employees in shaping electoral conventions.
Contrary to this approach, the Conservative and Labor Parties in Britain
Create policy forums, from voting districts to national forums, and validate them at annual parties
conferences.
Informed Decision Making: The charter creation process should be based on a careful approach.
research rather than mere desire. Political parties in Pakistan are increasingly
When conducting public opinion research, the focus should move away from assessing the popularity of different studies.
Ensuring leaders understand voters’ views on important issues.
Broad-Based Consultation: Since time is limited for lower-level consultations in 2024
During elections, each party must ensure consultations at least at the provincial level.
Thus, consultations to be held on a provincial basis, representing each region,
Wider national consultation.
Professionally Prepared: A well-prepared charter can bridge the gap between political elements.
parties and voters. The charter should be a professionally prepared list rather than a wish list.
A prepared document focusing on applicable policies and programs.
Transparency and Accountability: Charter should not be merely ceremonial
document but a guide to action. Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms should be developed.
It was established to ensure the implementation of the Charter’s promises.
Benefiting from public opinion: A carefully prepared survey based on informed opinions,
It can significantly improve the charter’s ability to identify and address key issues.
voters’ concerns.
To solve the challenges faced by a struggling country by similar methods
For Pakistan, it is essential for the parties to seriously plan projects, policies and programs.
We focus on trade. Therefore, the parties are required to submit their approved commercial agreements.
and funding issues in the election manifesto. Labor Party’s manifesto
2017 and 2019 can serve as good models because they contain separate documents.
It details how the promised programs will be financed. In the 2017 and 2019 Labor Party manifestos,
There were seven and 40 page appendices respectively titled ‘Financing Britain’s Future’
and ‘Financial Assistance for Real Change’. Both financing documents were prepared by.
A team headed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer – a Shadow in our terminology
If there was a Shadow Cabinet system in our politics, we would be the Minister of Finance.
State Manifesto: Pakistan is a federal state with many ministries and departments
allocated to provinces. A party cannot be in power both in the center and in the center at the same time.
all provinces. Parties must prepare federal and separate manifestos for each.
at the provincial level. Jamaat-e-Islami recently released a separate election manifesto.
especially for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Other parties may consider doing the same.
The author emphasizes the necessity of establishing a system with the parties coming together.
power to actively monitor and explain the implementation of the manifesto’s objectives
There is such a system in the manifesto. It is rightly stated that this action will have a greater impact.
Voters’ trust in a party that includes its own responsibility in its manifesto. PML(N)s
The 2013 manifesto included a short section on implementing the manifesto but it was not implemented
over. PTI tried to control implementation of Imran Khan’s first 100 days agenda
In 2018, he shared the results online but the party abandoned this laudable initiative
Before the end of the government’s first 100 days.
Key Issues Checklist: The manifesto should identify and propose possible solutions to the following issues:
short term, medium term and long term critical issues. In addition to this currently
In the fight against terrorism, reforms in the energy sector should be focused on,
Prioritizing an efficiency-oriented economy in income and investments
government agencies. In the context of human development, improvements
justice system, maintaining effective local governments, conducting political dialogues
for harmony and a balanced long-term focus on military relations with neighboring countries
countries should be given priority.
We understand that it is vital to highlight the importance of the Manifesto.
Moreover, in the current serious political situation in Pakistan, it is necessary to take all political measures.
Parties including PTI, which is currently the most popular party despite all political views
coercion, malpractices and unconstitutional interventions, equal opportunity
participate in the selection process. Pakistan’s electoral system must be purged of any elements.
bias and the selection process must be made transparent. I wish the writers of Pakistan
We can say that there is no tradition of preparing political manifestos in Britain.
Be it wheat or cement agency, the institution plays a role in the elections. People
opinion determines the verdict. I wish Pakistan could follow the same path.
Consequently, the process of creating electoral statutes should be more than wishful thinking.
guided effort; should be based on comprehensive research. While there are political parties
With surveys increasingly being conducted, the emphasis must shift away from evaluation of leaders.
The popularity of understanding voters’ views on critical issues. A well prepared
The Charter could encourage greater participation by closing the gap between political parties and voters.
voter participation and information.
Relating to
news source (dailythepatriot.com)
