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“We’ve been robbed!” Perhaps grammatically incorrect, but nonetheless powerful, the outburst comes from Max Schmeling, the manager of boxer Max Schmeling, who suffered a match-fixed loss in a heavyweight boxing match in the 1930s. Those were the first words uttered by a certain Joe Jacobs.
Since then, it has been used in a variety of situations, from sports to elections, when a clear defeat turns into an ambiguous victory. Following the 2024 general elections, the elections were repeated across Pakistan in different dialects from February 8th to 9th. The final result has not yet been clearly accepted by the competing parties.
Their grievances, some registered, some to be registered and some lodged with judicial authorities, arise out of discrepancies in Form 45 and Form 47 of the ECP. These forms are more than just bureaucratic formalities. They are the foundation of the credibility of voting.
Specifically, Form 45 (the “Tally Results” form) is the first record of a vote being cast at a polling place. It includes, among other things, “the total number of registered voters, the total number of votes cast, and a breakdown of the votes received by each candidate.”
This was the costliest and most fruitless election in our history.
After the votes are counted, Form 45 is submitted to the Returning Officer of each constituency. The RO will aggregate all Forms 45 and create Form 47 to determine the final result. “Form 47 documents the unconfirmed results in the constituency. This includes the number of votes cast in the constituency, the breakdown of votes by candidate, and the number of canceled/rejected votes. ” The complete and final vote tally will then be published on Forms 48 and 49. These serve as the official declaration of the election results.
The bottom layer of the pyramid bears the heaviest burden. Expected to be the most reliable. Ideally, an EVM system minimizes the possibility of unauthorized intervention between layers. But manual systems allow people to manipulate ballots by hand without leaving a thumbprint.
Before the election, many were skeptical of the ECP’s impartiality. After the election, too many voters have doubts about the act. To paraphrase Winston Churchill’s memorable words about the Royal Air Force during World War II: Never before in the history of Pakistan’s electoral disputes have so many votes been manipulated by so few people. There was none. No wonder 128 million voters are confused. They committed a robbery.
At 49 billion rupees, this was the costliest and most fruitless election in our country’s history. The 128 million voters (of which 22 million are new entrants) would have preferred the government to spend the money on their education. (The allocation for education in the 2023-24 budget was Rs 97 billion.) Instead, they have been taught the wrong lessons. We have been taught the wrong lesson that electoral fraud was not invented in Pakistan. It has simply been completed here.
When the spoils were laid out before the major political parties, they seemed reluctant to accept the prize. The presidency, prime ministership, and other constitutional posts were swung between the PML-N and his PPP as if they were tinsel crowns. Our leaders are discovering the truth of Frederick the Great’s statement that “a crown is but a hat that lets the rain pass through.”
The next prime minister faces a mountain of problems. Nawaz Sharif, who had dreamed of his fourth term as prime minister, daunted and disappointed at the prospect and fled before his final hurdle. He decided to invest the years of his downfall in raising his daughter Mariam for a more gradual hurdle race to the position of Chief Minister of Punjab.
Nawaz handed over the prime minister ship to his brother Shehbaz Sharif. To understand why Shehbaz Sharif agreed to wear the pointed crown, recall the assurances she gave to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in July 2023. Shehbaz Sharif then expressed his “deep gratitude” to the International Monetary Fund for its “assistance and assistance in materializing” the standby arrangement. He donated $3 billion and promised that “if the Pakistani people re-elect the government of Pakistan after the elections, we will work to rebuild the economy with the support of the IMF and development partners.” She told the IMF board that she had met the prime minister in person and that she “understood his seriousness.”
The IMF and friendly financial institutions (especially China over CPEC) are now hoping that Shehbaz Sharif will stand up and implement policy.
How long will the next coalition government last? Is it longer than its predecessor, or are we constantly looking over our shoulders, fearful of a regime itching to eliminate us?
Some recall that in 1981, General Zia-ul-Haq chose Nawaz Sharif, a little-known iron trader, to be Punjab’s finance minister. When he began his political career 40 years ago, the top echelons of the current system were still cadets or probationers.
No wonder old Caesar fears the dagger of Brutus the Younger.
A writer is a writer.
www.fsaijazuddin.pk
Published at Dawn on February 22, 2024
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