Voter turnout and reaction mixed

While results to Sunday’s local elections continue to be counted - the first elections held in Pakistan since the military coup more than a year ago - critics of the government and government officials alike disagree over its success and as to whether the government is sincere in its reform programme for democratisation. “We are pleased with the results and are set for the next phase,” spokesman for the government election commission Kanwar Dilshad told IRIN on Tuesday in Islamabad. “Although results will not be finalised until Wednesday, according to our estimates, voter turnout was about 45 percent and undoubtedly will be higher as time goes on. We are now looking at 21 March as the next date for the second stage of the local elections.” Critics of the government and its attempts to decentralise power, however, were less than enthusiastic. “The election was a failure,” spokesman for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Ferhatullah Babar told IRIN on Tuesday. “The turnout was very, very low. The government is saying 40 percent, but they have failed to provide us with any statistics to back this up. All these figures are conflicting and are not supported with figures of the actual number of voters in a union council and the number of voters polled.” Claiming voter turnout to be less than 20 percent, Babar called on the government to shelve its devolution of power plan. “We have asked the government to shelve this idea as it is unconstitutional, impractical and violates provincial autonomy. We have asked the government to hold general elections and restore democracy.” Asked why voter turnout had been so low, Babar gave a variety of reasons. “Enthusiasm for this election was very low due to the serious problems facing the country now, particularly unemployment and the economic situation. Secondly, the voting procedure was extremely complicated and poorly organised. And lastly, this was a party-less election, and normally enthusiasm for an election in Pakistan is generated by political parties.” Meanwhile, a BBC report on Monday described Sunday’s election as “complicated”, accounting for why results had been so slow coming in. Most voters had to cast five ballots for different categories of councillors, including seats reserved for women and labourers and peasants. The report went on to say that as political parties were not allowed to be involved in the elections, the results alone give no indication of their current level of support. Sunday’s election was held in 18 selected districts in all four of Pakistan’s provinces as part of government’s first devolution of power plan since military leader, General Musharraf seized power on 12 October 1999. He has publicly pledged to hold national elections within the next two years.