The Daily Times, Nov 14
The voting for the first-ever Legislative Assembly elections in the Gilgit-Baltistan region was conducted in a largely peacefully fashion on Thursday. Despite some complaints of unfair means by opposition parties, the reported incidents of violence or rigging appear to bear an incidental character rather than a systematic pattern. The circles monitoring the electioneering in what were once known as the Northern Areas before the enactment of the Empowerment and Self-Governance Order 2009 have observed that the electoral process has been fairly credible and the results are expected to be acceptable to the major contesting parties. The unofficial results show that the People’s Party has won nearly half of the seats up for grabs, making it clear that the proportionate reserved seats will definitely furnish the PPP with a simple majority to form the first government in this newly established autonomous region.
The claims made during the rather animated election campaign apart, the success of the People’s Party is hardly a surprise, given the long association of the PPP with the people of this region. Z. A. Bhutto played a role in ushering in mainstream politics in this area, which was till then largely isolated from Pakistan. Benazir Bhutto introduced electoral reforms during her second tenure as Prime Minister. That the current PPP government has granted the status of an autonomous region to this area with an elected legislative assembly too could not have been lost upon the voters. The congregational equation here — with a large segment being Shiite and Ismaili — too gave the People’s Party an advantage. In fact, the traditional strength of the PPP in the region has been so obvious that the Muslim League (N) chief Nawaz Sharif chose to portray himself as the true heir of the Bhuttos during the election campaign. The Gilgit-Baltistan elections appear to reaffirm the political spectrum that emerged in the 2008 general elections in the rest of the country. A hounded People’s Party can draw some relief from the electoral outcome in Gilgit-Baltistan by claiming that the vicious media trial and relentless political attacks may not have dented the actual electoral capability of the party, as against the claims made by rival political forces.
Two points need to be made regarding this largely positive development towards the strengthening of democratic institutions in the country. The All Parties National Alliance (APNA), a conglomeration of 12 nationalist parties from Gilgit and AJK, stayed away from the election process, dubbing it a “mock election”, aimed at emasculating the “nationalist aspirations of the people and reinforcing the rule of Islamabad”. APNA also staged a demonstration in Muzaffarabad to condemn the elections. The nationalist political forces may have a point in the context of the larger Kashmir question but the legitimate democratic rights of the people of this region cannot be shelved ad infinitum. Separately, the reports that female voters have been denied their right to vote by a set of conservative contestants in parts of District Diamer deserve attention. This treatment of women citizens is turning into a recurring pattern in Pakistan. It not only violates the rights of the female citizens but also undermines the democratic process itself by allowing some self-righteous characters to dictate the norms of state and society. It is time the nation addresses this issue seriously, through appropriate legislation if necessary. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2009\11\14\story_14-11-2009_pg3_1
The News, Nov 14
There have been no major surprises in the first election for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly. The PPP is set to claim majority in the 24-seat house. This success has been marred by some allegations of rigging. A number of pre-poll analysts had predicted a hung house – but traditionally Gilgit-Baltistan, accustomed to decades of rule from the centre, has leaned towards the ruling party. The turnout was generally good despite the bitter cold, but the refusal to allow women to vote in a few constituencies is a matter the authorities need to take up. The interest shown by people in the electoral process, with large rallies forming a part of the run-up to voting, highlights the strong desire for democracy everywhere in our country. It is unfortunate that people have so often been denied this right through our history.
There were other distinct trends that the major parties need to take note of. The MQM picked up one seat, finished in second place on several others and picked up an impressive number of votes generally. Certainly, the MQM’s open condemnation of extremism went down well in an area that has remained largely calm despite the violence sweeping the north. So too did its call for constitutional rights for people and the grant of status to the region as the fifth province of Pakistan. It is indeed rather ironical that for over 60 years Gilgit-Baltistan has been denied this right, even as fierce nationalist movements in other provinces challenge the notion of federation and seek to break away from it. This is something for the federal government to consider. While it has, since independence, stood on the sidelines of Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan comprises an area that is three times larger than FATA and over 12 times as big as AJK. There is immense tourist potential amidst mountains that include some of the tallest in the world and a unique culture that goes back centuries. There is then potential for the region to contribute to Pakistan and perhaps even to pull it back from the brink of extremism and international isolation. This needs to be recognized and further steps taken to pull Gilgit-Baltistan into the mainstream of the country. http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=208340
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