The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) claimed that the problems with Sindh’s second round of local elections in Karachi, Hyderabad and other cities were not a good sign for the upcoming general elections.
Due to delayed results, major political parties Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and others accused the January 15 local elections of rigging.
The FAFEN’s report said, “Controversies over the quality of electoral processes do not augur well, particularly when the political parties are preparing for general elections that are constitutionally due by October 11, 2023.”
“The election commission, at the same time, needs to open up to political actors and address their legitimate concerns through the regulatory space available to it under the Elections Act, 2017, to ensure truly ‘inclusive’ elections, minimizing the eventualities of poll boycotts by major political parties in future.” the FAFEN observed
The group that keeps an eye on elections said that many of these disagreements are caused by flaws in the laws that govern elections. These flaws must be fixed through wide-ranging talks between all political actors to change election laws.
The report said that if elections don’t lead to political stability, democratization will weaken, and fewer people believe democracy can improve social and economic well-being.