CEC's appointment
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The ruling coalition sits in violation of constitutional spirit, and there are no two opinions about it. The delay in the appointment of new Chief Election Commissioner and two members of the Election Commission, even after the expiry of a controversial lease of life inserted through the impugned 26th amendment, simply testifies defiance at work. The beleaguered dispensation, already under slur for gaining power on the premise of open-ended irregularities in the 2014 elections, is torpedoing the mosaic of constitutionalism. Though it could be part of its exigency politics, it does not bode well for rule of law and future of democracy in the country.
Pakistan is already in the grip of acute political instability, and non-functioning of constitutional organs that vet the electoral process makes it more worrisome. What is desired is an independent and non-partisan electoral watchdog, with the incumbents rising above petty interests in discharging their mandate. So is the case in all functional democracies, and that comes to the aid of civil society and supremacy of merit. It's high time the sitting CEC, Sikandar Sultan Raja, himself called it a day. He is broadly criticised for his failure to hold general elections in time; denying PTI its poll symbol of 'cricket bat'; and playing a key role in manipulation of election results. The non-implementation of the July 12, 2024 verdict of the Supreme Court is another stigma on his career.
With the legislative-extended deadline of appointments becoming history, it is mandatory for the parliament to erect an autonomous Election Commission. The opposition PTI too cannot escape its responsibility as its performance has not been up to the mark. The failure to set up parliamentary committees, and lack of consensus between the leaders of the house and the opposition are at the vanguard of delaying tactics. Moreover, the government should desist from re-appointing the outgoing CEC, as reported in a section of the press, as it would be ultra vires and come to radicalise an already polarised society.
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