A GENUINE OFFER?

 2021-03-16
IT seemed too good to be true. On Sunday, the PTI government extended an unexpected offer to
the opposition, saying it was willing to initiate talks with the opposition on the issue of electoral
reforms. Minister for Science & Technology Fawad Chaudhry said at a press conference that
reforms were pending in a committee of parliament in which the government had proposed
holding of polls through electronic machines, right of vote for overseas Pakistanis and the
curtailment of powers of the presiding officers. Though casual in its tenor, the offer appeared to
be a step forward -until the next day, when the government`s demand that ECP members resign
cast doubt on the genuineness of its intentions.

It is true that electoral reforms require urgent attention from all political parties. The Senate
elections are a reminder that the present system is struggling to conduct free, fair, transparent and
credible elections. This means the fundamentals of running a democracy are under stress. If the
country goes into the next round of elections local bodies and general elections there is cause for
worry that they will generate further controversies and instability. It is therefore critical that
electoral reforms are discussed in detail by all political parties and legislated with consensus. If
major parties are not on board then the entire exercise could become futile. This is why it was
unfortunate when PTI decided to go it alone on the issue of having Senate elections through an
open ballot. However, if there is indeed a serious plan to discuss electoral reforms with the
opposition, then it would do well to handle the matter at the appropriate level. A sincere attempt
would include approaching the senior parliamentary leadership of the opposition and offering a
formal meeting to discuss the agenda for the reforms. Parliament is the appropriate forum and the
government should reach out to the opposition in all sincerity.

But the problem is that the government is struggling to overcome its acute partisanship when it
comes to a discussion on such critical issues. It is in this respect that the demand of the
government that ECP members resign is a highly inappropriate one. It boggles the mind when
senior government functionaries are sent out to deliver such irresponsible statements. The chief
election commissioner was appointed by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself, and under him the
ECP has done well to stand up to pressure from the government.

It is ironical that the party which allegedly indulged in severe electoral malpractices in the Daska
by-election is now calling for the resignation of those who called out this gross manipulation and
rightly ordered a re-poll. The government would do itself a favour if it were to take a holistic
view of the situation before rushing to make statements that are difficult to take seriously.

CIVILIANS VS ARMY
 2021-03-16
ESPITE a brutal crackdown by the Myanmar military, civilian resistance to the Feb 1 coup has
refused to abate, with regular demonstrations against the junta in the country.

This is despite the fact that the protesters have paid with their lives; over 120 have been killed in
the demonstrations, as per one count, with the police and military at times firing live rounds into
crowds.

While generating such momentum can take time, in Myanmar the people came to the defence of
the democratic system from the day the generals toppled the elected order. This is not the first
time the generals have struck in Myanmar, while it is also true that mass pro-democracy
movements had taken shape in the late 1980s and 2007 as well. The resolve of the country`s
people is reassuring for all pro-democracy forces across the globe.
While Myanmar`s hybrid democracy was far from perfect, there was absolutely no justification
for the junta to overthrow an elected government however flawed. In other parts of the
developing world, there have been mixed results where civilian power confronting extra-
constitutional players is concerned. Myanmar`s neighbour Thailand saw the military stage a coup
in 2014 and though sustained protests have continued in that country as well, Thailand`s
powerful generals remain entrenched. Meanwhile in Egypt, a brief democratic experiment was
derailed by the military in 2013, when the Mohamed Morsi-led dispensation was sent packing.

While the Muslim Brotherhood-supported government was trying to implement its agenda too
hastily, the military had no business overthrowing an elected government. Bangladesh, on the
other hand, has been something of a success story, with the civilians managing to maintain their
supremacy, despite decades of military rule. However, the Awami League-led dispensation has
displayed autocratic tendencies, though these deficiencies must be handled by the political
opposition, not extra-constitutional `saviours`. Perhaps one of the reasons that unelected
adventurers succeed in thwarting democratic movements is the support they receive from
established democracies. The latter will initially censure the coup-makers, but then start dealing
with them under the doctrine of necessity.

This was witnessed in Egypt, while Pakistan saw similar situations during Zia`s and Musharraf`s
military rule. Perhaps Western states can change tack and keep up the pressure on Myanmar`s
generals to return to the barracks. A triumph for democracy in Myanmar will embolden
constitutional movements everywhere, while the opposite will send the message to adventurers
that they can overthrow elected administrations and get away with it.
 Cricket SELECTION
 2021-03-16
THE refreshing trend adopted by the national cricket selectors to induct promising youngsters in
the Pakistan team since the New Zealand tour debacle last December has yet again been
displayed in the choices made for the upcoming tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe recently. A
number of newcomers and salient performers in domestic cricket have managed to find a place in
the Test as well as the ODI and T20 squads named for the African tour by chief selector
Mohammad Wasim. Budding players such as batsmen Saud Shakeel, Danish Aziz, Imran Butt,
rookie pacers Arshad Iqbal, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Wasim Jr, spinners Sajid Khan and
Salman Ali Agha all feature in the three squads named for the tour.

The move has been widely hailed by experts and fans. However, the shock omission of
experienced opener Shan Masood, seasoned pacer Wahab Riaz and all-rounder Imad Wasim has
earned the ire of some critics who contend that only a blend of youth and experience can
improve chances of doing well overseas. Skipper Babar Azam, who leads in all three formats,
and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq have reportedly taken exception to some of the selections, which
is a matter of concern. Many times in Pakistan cricket, captains who have not had their way in
team selections have refused to take responsibility for defeat. This has led to unpleasant
situations.

Having said that, an independent selection committee is quite rare in Pakistan cricket which has
repeatedly grappled with favouritism and nepotism at the expense of merit for decades. To be
fair to the selectors, even if the team loses a few games on the tour, all they could be accused of
is misjudgement, not favouritism. For the home Test and T20 series against South Africa played
early this year, the selectors had draf ted in more than half a dozen in-form players who clearly
were willing to go the extra mile. It is useful to remember that this was the key catalyst in
Pakistan`s victories.