There has
been ferocious behind the scenes activity amongst all of the main
parties regarding election alliances. There are daily reports of
meetings between major parties and alliances. The fact that most
of the parties are meeting with nearly all other major parties, it
is very difficult to come to any conclusion regarding any specific
alliance. For instance the PML(Q) has been engaged in talks with
the MMA and PAT, with both of these parties also in talks with
PML(N), with PAT also in talks with the PPP and ARD. Thus it seems
all the parties are weighing up the odds and keeping their cards
close to their chests. Well one thing is clear to everyone that
there are basically two camps from which the election will be
fought, that being pro government and anti government.
The main party in the pro government camp will be PML(Q). There
are reports of MMA forming an election alliance with the PML(Q).
It seems difficult to conceive how a pro government party such as
PML(Q) can work together, let alone form an electoral alliance
with the MMA which has been bitterly opposed to Musharaf’s
government. Furthermore, the religious parties have never had a
vote bank worthy of any concern, with the collective seats gained
by them in the national assembly being no more than ten, during
any term. The composition of the MMA is quite baffling in itself,
in that Noorani was made its chief. Noorani failed to win his own
seat in the last general election thus it may not make sense why
he was made the head. It is opinionated in political circles that
he has been given the top slot to attract the majority Sunni
population as the other leaders in the MMA belong to the minority
‘Diobandi’ or ‘Shia’ sects . With there being no chance of
Noorani winning his own seat, he will no longer be required by the
MMA after the October elections as the ‘Sunni vote’ would have
already been cast in favour of the MMA candidates. Well firstly,
as Noorani is in his late seventies and considered to be way past
his best, there is no guarantee that he will attract the so-called
‘Sunni vote’ and neither do the Pakistani electorate vote on a
religious basis. Although religious parties have never been
successful in past elections, due to the intense anti-American
feeling in the country the MMA can win the hearts of the Pakistani
people due its anti American stance. Whether the Pakistani people
will trust religious parties and see the MMA as a viable
alternative to pro-American Musharaf is a different story.
There are reports of the anti government camp forming an alliance
with the main parties being the PPP, PML(N) and the Pakistan Awami
Tehreek (PAT). Although the three parties may not have seen eye to
eye in the past, they all have a common agenda of stopping
Musharaf from implementing a presidential dictatorship. They have
also realised that this can only be achieved if major parties with
public support like themselves get together. The formation of an
alliance between the three parties has also been reported by
several newspapers. The reason being that the might of a military
government cannot be defeated by any single political party. |
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About
Writer:
Mr. Jawed Iqbal, is an independent writer and a
political analyst. His articles appear in printed and
electronic media of Pakistan
eMail : JAWEDS_WORLD@HOTMAIL.COM |
Such election alliances of parties with conflicting views and
ideologies are of course marriages of convenience, but are seen by
many to be the only way of stopping Musharaf from implementing a
presidential dictatorship.Unlike the rest of the parties, the
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) has ruled itself out of any election
alliance saying it will take the solo flight, relying on the
'youth bomb' to see it through. Well, bigger parties like the PPP,
PML(N) and PAT see it vital to form an alliance in order to combat
Musharaf which means they do not see it feasible to go it alone
putting a question mark on Imran Khan's decision to do so.
PTI like PAT was pro government, now both are opposed to Musharaf
but they are taking totally different paths to the election. PAT
is busy in talks with all major parties such as PML(Q), PPP, PML(N)
and the ARD regarding an election alliance where as PTI will take
the solo flight. Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri has always had the policy of
forming an alliance with parties who have the same goal which is
why he has lead and been part of the PAI and GDA. The goal
presently being implementing true democracy and restoring the
sanctity and independence of institutions. The meeting of PAT
leaders with the leadership of PPP, PML(N) and ARD does indicate
there be an alliance on the cards. On the other hand PAT is also
having regular meetings with the leadership of the PML(Q) which is
keeping political analysts guessing on which way PAT will go. The
fact that both sides, opposition and PML(Q) are eager to form some
sort of alliance with PAT, shows that PAT, surprisingly, is a very
important piece in the alliance jigsaw puzzle. The logical out
come seems to be that PAT would form an election alliance with the
PPP and PML(N), making seat adjustment with the PML(Q) and other
parties.
With all the political parties being opposed to Musharaf, this has
left the PML(Q) in a limbo. As it is basically pro Musharaf but
due to the anti Musharaf feelings in the country it has refrained
from supporting the amendments packages. It may be that it is
thinking of joining hands with the MMA to win the anti government
support.
Well which ever election alliance will materialise, it is clear
that they will all be 'marriages of convenience', but that is the
political necessity of the time which political parties have to
come to grips with. If they fail to do so then this will leave the
way clear for an authoritarian set up with Musharaf as its head.
This
article published in;
Local Media
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Marriages of convenience