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2008 Pakistani general election

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A general election was held in Pakistan on February 18, 2008, after being postponed from 8 January 2008, the original date to elect members of the National Assembly of Pakistan, the lower house of the Majlis-e-Shoora (the nation's parliament).[1][2]

In the wake of state of emergency declared on 3 November 2007 by Chief of the Army Staff Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's Information Minister Tariq Azeem said that elections are now "on the back burner", with no date set. [3] However, it was later stated they would be held as planned. [4] Musharraf stated on 8 November 2007 that the election would be held by 15 February 2008. [5] He later called for the election date to be on or before 9 January 2008. [6] Even later, he suggested 8 January 2008 as the election date. [7] Following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the Election Commission announced after a meeting in Islamabad that a January 8 vote was no longer possible and the election would take place on 18 February.[8]

Following the election, which as promised by Musharraf is considered the most transparent and fair in the history of the country, President Musharraf conceded the defeat of his party and pledged to work with the new Parliament. [9]

Issues

Code of conduct

A code of conduct for the election has been proposed by the Citizens' Group on Electoral Process (CGEP) to the Election Commission of Pakistan and the political parties. This suggests that all stakeholders should agree a set of rules as early as possible, in order to provide a level playing field for a fair general election. [10]

Terrorism

There have been concerns from the United States that Pakistan has not been doing enough to assist in the war on terrorism. Musharraf has rejected such claims, stating "The fight against terrorism and extremism, whether it is al-Qaeda or Taliban, can never succeed without Pakistan’s cooperation and Pakistan is the only country that has delivered the maximum on both. We are tackling them with 30,000 troops. If there is anybody who is not doing enough, it is others who are not doing enough."[2] Opposition parties, especially the religious Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal coalition, are opposed to Pakistan's role as ally of the United States in the War on Terrorism.[11]A car bomb killed 40 people and wounded 90 February 16 2008 in northern Pakistan when it exploded in front of an election office of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party.[12]

Fairness of elections

A number of opposition parties have called for the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf to ensure free and fair elections under a caretaker government.[13] On 8 July 2007, opposition parties issued a declaration of their demands for the elections.[13] The parties included are the Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N), and Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal. Regarding the election, the declaration had the following clauses:[13]

*The formation of a caretaker government of national consensus, in consultation with the opposition parties to hold free, fair and honest elections. Its members will not contest the elections.

  • The appointment of a neutral Chief Election Commissioner and members of the Election Commission in consultation with the opposition parties.
  • The dissolution of local governments three months prior to the holding of the general elections.
  • The caretaker government of national consensus shall appoint officers with no political affiliation in Election Commission, federal, provincial and district governments.
  • Repeal of all discriminatory election laws, to ensure even playing fields and the implementation of fair election proposals.
  • Implementation of the jointly agreed criteria for holding of fair and free elections.
  • To keep under review the steps being taken to ensure free, fair and honest elections and to collectively through consensus take any decision which may include a boycott of elections in the extreme case at the appropriate time.
  • To firmly resist collectively the machinations of the regime to postpone the general elections by imposing emergency or under any other pretext.
  • To struggle collectively for the removal of dictatorship from Pakistan and confine the role of the armed forces to that prescribed in the Constitution of 1973. It demands immediate withdrawal of military personal from all civilian departments and posts. It demands closure of the political cells of all the military, security and intelligence agencies.

Parties

Small and negligible parties opposed to Musharraf have joined together in a loose political alliance called All Parties Democratic Movement; the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the largest opposition party, is not a part of this alliance.

As Musharraf had stated that the elections would be held under the 2007 Pakistani state of emergency, at least three parties stated they will boycott such elections, fearing that they would not be free and fair: the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Jamaat-e-Islami and Tehreek-i-Insaaf. [14]

The opposition parties jointly stated that the elections could not be fair, as most opposition candidates were in jail under the state of emergency and thus unable to file nomination papers for the election. [15]

On 23 November 2007, PPP members were given the go-ahead to register for the elections, while still reserving the decision to boycott the election. [16]

Imran Khan, the Tehreek-i-Insaaf leader, restated his call for a boycott on 23 November 2007, the day the APDM was to decide on whether to boycott the elections jointly. [17]

Upon his return to Pakistan on 26 November 2007, Nawaz Sharif stated he would run in the elections only if the state of emergency was lifted before the polls, [18] and that he would not serve as Prime Minister under Musharraf. [19] However, Sharif's candidacy was rejected on 3 December due to his prior criminal conviction. [20]

On 10 December 2007, Sharif and Bhutto finally announced they would not boycott the election, despite their fears that the election would be neither free nor fair. [21]

In a poll from the International Republican Institute conducted from January 19 to January 29, the PPP led with 50% (in November 30%), followed by Sharif's PML-N with 22% (25%) and Musharraf's PML-Q with 14% (23%). Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) had 1% (4%) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) 1% (2%). [22]In the first three counts to finish, the opposition did well: The provincial assembly seat in Baluchistan went to the Pakistan People's Party -- the party of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto -- while two independent candidates won seats from the northern tribal areas. [23] Unofficial returns February 19 2008 showed huge wins for the opposition parties of former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and the slain Benazir Bhutto, one day after a pivotal vote that could threaten Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf's political viability. [24]

Bhutto assassination

Main article: Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

The 2008 Pakistani election was dealt a great shock on 27 December 2007 when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated while leaving a rally in Rawalpindi. Bhutto's assassination raised many questions as to whether the general election would be postponed. Following the fatal attack, Pervez Musharraf held an emergency meeting with other government officials, but stated that "no decision had been made on whether to delay the national elections."[25]

Bhutto had "become an appealing solution" to United States officials frustrated with President Musharraf's failure to restore democracy to Pakistan, The New York Times said.

Sharif stated after the assassination that his party would boycott the election. [26] He later stated that his party would take part if Bhutto's PPP contests the election. [27] The PPP then decided to name Bhutto's son, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the new party leader with his father Asif Ali Zardari as co-leader, as asked for in Benazir Bhutto's testament. The party also decided that it would contest the elections and stated that the elections should be held as planned.

The Pakistani Election Commission announced after a meeting in Islamabad that a 8 January vote was no longer possible and the election would take place on 18 February.[28]

Pre-election violence

Main article: Terrorism in Pakistan, 2008

In the weeks preceding the election, there were several attacks targeting politicians and political rallies. On February 9, a suicide car bomb killed 27 and injured 37 attending a political rally for the Awami National Party in Charsadda. [29] On February 16, another suicide car bomb killed 37 and injured 93 outside the residence of PPP candidate Riaz Shah in Parachinar.[30] The same day, a suicide attack on an army outpost in Swat Valley killed two civilians and injured eight people.[30] A polling location in Bajaur was destroyed by militants earlier.[30]

Results

Anti-Musharraf parties Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League (N) have emerged as victorious from the unofficial results. Pakistan Muslim League (Q), the party supporting Pervez Musharraf has been clearly defeated and all its main leaders including 22 former federal ministers which constitutes a bulk of the previous federal cabinet have faced crushing defeat. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (Party President/Former Prime Minister), Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi (Former Chief Minister Punjab) (lost 3 out of 4 seats), Sheikh Rashid Ahmad (Former Railways Minister), Dr. Sher Afgan Niazi (Former Minister for Parliamentary Affairs), Muhammad Wasi Zafar (Former Law Minister), Humayun Akhtar Khan (Former Commerce Minister), Chaudhry Amir Hussain (Former Speaker National Assembly), Rao Sikandar Iqbal (Former Defense Minister), Hamid Nasir Chattha, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri (Former Foreign Minister), Daniyal Aziz, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar (Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs), Awais Leghari (Former IT Minister), Nasarullah Dareshak, Chaudhry Moonis Elahi (lost 1 out of 2 seats), Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain (Former Federal Minister), Muhammad Ijaz-ul-Haq (Former Minister for Religious Affairs), Liaquat Ali Jatoi (Former Minister for Water and Power), Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind (Former Federal Minister), Naurez Shakoor (Former Federal Minister), Ishaq Khakwani (Former State Minister), Sikandar Hayat Bosan (Former Federal Minister), Ghulam Sarwar Khan (Former Federal Minister) etc have lost their seats. [31]

Parties Party Flags National Assembly Punjab Sindh NWFP Balochistan
Pakistan Peoples Party 87 76 64 17 7
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Sharif) 66 102 4 5 0
Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid-e-Azam) 38 61 9 6 17
Muttahida Qaumi Movement 19 0 38 0 0
Awami National Party 10 0 2 29 1
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan 3 2 0 8 6
Pakistan Muslim League (Functional Group) 3 2 5 0 0
Pakistan Peoples Party (Sherpao) 1 0 0 5 0
Balochistan National Party (Awami) 1 0 0 0 5
Independents (Others) 30 33 6 6 11
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (on boycott) - - - - -
Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (on boycott) - - - - -
Total general seats 272 297 130 99 51
Reserved Seats (Women) 60 66 29 22 11
Reserved Seats (Minorities) 10 9 8 3 3
total seats 342 371 168 124 65

The Election Commission allocates the 60 seats reserved for women and the 10 seats reserved for religious minorities among the various parties in proportion to the number of general seats each party won (province by province for the 60 women, nationally for the 10 minorities). However for this calculation "the total number of general seats won by a political party shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three days of the publications in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates."

See also

References

  1. ^ Ahmed Rashid (2007-01-10). "Pakistan's uncertain year ahead". BBC News. Retrieved 2007-07-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b "Election Tracker: Pakistan". Angus Reid Global Monitor. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  3. ^ "BBC NEWS". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Text "Musharraf targets key opponents" ignored (help); Text "South Asia" ignored (help)
  4. ^ "BBC NEWS". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Text "Pakistan 'to keep elections date'" ignored (help); Text "South Asia" ignored (help)
  5. ^ "BBC NEWS". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Text "Musharraf vows polls in February" ignored (help); Text "South Asia" ignored (help); Text "World" ignored (help)
  6. ^ "BBC NEWS". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Text "Bhutto's 'long march is illegal'" ignored (help); Text "South Asia" ignored (help)
  7. ^ "Musharraf recommends general elections to be held on Jan. 8 - People's Daily Online". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  8. ^ "Pakistan Delays Vote After Bloodshed". Sky News. 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  9. ^ "In Pakistan, Musharraf’s Party Accepts Defeat - New York Times". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  10. ^ "Model code of conduct for polls proposed -DAWN - Top Stories; July 03, 2007". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  11. ^ "Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA)". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  12. ^ "Car bomb kills 40 ahead of Pakistan vote". CNN. Retrieved 2008-02-17.
  13. ^ a b c M. Ziauddin (2007-07-09). "MPC declaration asks Musharraf to resign: PPP's stand accommodated". Dawn. Retrieved 2007-07-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "Pakistan Opposition parties announce boycott of polls-Pakistan-World-The Times of India". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  15. ^ "Bloomberg.com: Worldwide". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 15 (help)
  16. ^ "Bhutto's party gives go-ahead for members to file papers for elections in Pakistan - People's Daily Online". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  17. ^ "Pakistani opposition leader calls for polls boycott - People's Daily Online". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  18. ^ "BBC NEWS". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Text "Pakistan rivals enter poll fray" ignored (help); Text "South Asia" ignored (help)
  19. ^ "BBC NEWS". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Text "Sharif welcomed back to Lahore" ignored (help); Text "South Asia" ignored (help)
  20. ^ "Sharif's candidacy papers rejected - CNN.com". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  21. ^ "Opposition to take part in Pakistan elections - International Herald Tribune". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  22. ^ "Angus Reid Global Monitor". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  23. ^ "CNN.com - Page Not Found". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  24. ^ "CNN.com - Page Not Found". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  25. ^ "Bhutto Assassination Ignites Disarray". New York Times. 2007-12-28. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
  26. ^ "guardian.co.uk". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  27. ^ "Sharif to 'review' boycott if PPP goes to polls-Pakistan-World-The Times of India". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  28. ^ "Pakistan Delays Vote After Bloodshed". Sky News. 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-02-01.
  29. ^ "Pakistan blast toll rises to 27 - CNN.com". 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
  30. ^ a b c AFP
  31. ^ "Sh Rashid, Ch Shujaat face surprising defeat". Geo TV. Retrieved 2008-02-19.


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