A salam o Alykum
There has been a trend of candidate based Voting in Pakistani Elections.
which is quite harmful for ideology based politics.
Most of the political parties look for "Good Candidates" in elections.
And btw what is the Definition of this good candidate ?
Good Candidate
Now opposite to these "qualities" :-) , there are few "drawbacks" which can block a way for a new candidate.Like
What Political Parties are not looking for :-)
What harm it can do to our Political System ?
1 - PMl-n , following this theory with core of their heart :-) , most of their candidates are from rich industrialist/business class.
2 - PPP is ofcourse is not a an ideological party anymore but rather a group of Feudals, Landlords , Sajjada Nasheenz , Peer Faqeer , Makhdooms .
3 - PML-Q
4 - PTI , I remember Imran Khan saying after 2002 elections that when he rejected Musharraf Proposal from Ehtisham Zameer , his "Good Candidates" who were financially strong , had strong influence in constituency due to caste were bought and asked to leave PTI .
Imran Khan has claim that a A rich person is always a best choice for poltician as he will not think of corruption as much as a poor person will. Of course This is his theory that poor people will be more inclined towards doing corruption , kunke jiska pait bhara hoa ho wo kia corruption karega.Its a theory , i respect it.
Examples :-
Mian Nisar Gul , who won the one and only provincial assemlbly seat of PTI from Karak in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa , He had no idelogical association with PTI , and it proved later when in 2008 election Imran Khan asked his party to boycott the elction but , Mian Nisar Gul was a power hungry person so he left PTI and contested election , won his seat and now sitting as minister with provincial govt. He has also a bad reputation and recently involved in rape case.
Zaheer Abbas Khokar PP-160, A renowned Lota , who has changed 4 Parties in last 8 years.
2002(PPPP)----->PPP(Patriot) to join government ---->2008(PML-Q) ---->2010(PTI)
He is a strong candidate because of his caste influence , all major columnist has accepted this "Quality" of him :-)
Mian Hamid Meraj -NA 123 , from a famous political family of Mian Muhammad Meraj , Ex-PML-Q member.from Rich and Strong Family support in constituency.Accepted by Haroon Rasheed as well
Ejaz Khan Jazi , NA-55 , Ex-PML-N , Another rich candidate of Rawalipindi area.
1 - Jamat-e-Islami
I may have thousands of differnces with JI , but they are certainly an ideological party. Usually they are not bothered by financial and caste influence of candidate.
2 - MQM
Let me give you an idea in simple Pictorial terms :-) That how Candidate based politics and Ideological Politics differs even in Election posters :-)
Election Posters of Different Parties
Candidate is very important in PTI , PML-N , PML-Q and in PPPP
Now See the Difference between MQM Election Posters ,
There are no such Pictures of CANDIDATES :-)
Maximum you would find is name of candidate :-) But not Like other parties where candidate picture is necessary
In last a Nice Article By Ata-ul-Qasmi about Candidate based voting
who has sympathies with PMl-N but this time he writes quite honestly
Feel free to put forward your opinion about this candidate based Voting trend Vs Ideological Vote bank.
There has been a trend of candidate based Voting in Pakistani Elections.
which is quite harmful for ideology based politics.
Most of the political parties look for "Good Candidates" in elections.
And btw what is the Definition of this good candidate ?
Good Candidate
- A good candidate is one who is financially strong to support election campaign.
- Has strong personal vote bank , whether due to his caste , his sect , his ethnicity etc.
- Experienced , not in legislation or in his personal technocratic skills for which he may render his services for any ministerial position, But experienced in contesting election.
Now opposite to these "qualities" :-) , there are few "drawbacks" which can block a way for a new candidate.Like
What Political Parties are not looking for :-)
- A Muflis , Qallash Candidate who earns 30-40,000 PKR per month and cannot run his campaign or cannot buy party ticket .
- A candidate who is "out of caste" in a particular constituency is highly undesirable :-).
- A new talented young engineer , doctor , lawyer who has appropriate education to do legislation or to hold any commerce , IT , health ministry But does not have political background or experience cannot be recommended by "CEC" of many parties :-)
What harm it can do to our Political System ?
- Well , Of course , candidate based voting shatters the ideological aspect of voting or election.
- People do not bother about manifesto of PTI , Pml-N , PPP , but rather focuses on candidate.whether hez from their caste or whether he is influencial enough to put forward their requests on government level. They make candidate as center of attention , center of hopes rather than political party.
- Such candidates who spend so much money on elections , after election they always want to recover their money , for which they openly do corruption.
- Such candidates have high tendency of becoming "Lota" as they HAVE to join ruling party otherwise they cannot recover their money while sitting in opposition.
- Politcal Parties has to accept right or wrong demands of such candidates so as to keep them in their camp n stopping them from joining ruling party.
- Poor Active workers of political parties are severely demoralized to see that inspite oftheir efforts they can never get a top position in Party or cannot became a contender for assembly as they do not have money.
- Young Educated youth of political party is demoralized to see that an uneducated but rich person can snatch their right of reaching assembly just because rich candidate has enough resources.
- Overall , The attention of politics changes from ideology to Personal stakes.People do not know what is the difference in manifestio of different political parties , they dont bother the previous performnace of political party , rather just focuses on caste of candidate.
1 - PMl-n , following this theory with core of their heart :-) , most of their candidates are from rich industrialist/business class.
2 - PPP is ofcourse is not a an ideological party anymore but rather a group of Feudals, Landlords , Sajjada Nasheenz , Peer Faqeer , Makhdooms .
3 - PML-Q
4 - PTI , I remember Imran Khan saying after 2002 elections that when he rejected Musharraf Proposal from Ehtisham Zameer , his "Good Candidates" who were financially strong , had strong influence in constituency due to caste were bought and asked to leave PTI .
Imran Khan has claim that a A rich person is always a best choice for poltician as he will not think of corruption as much as a poor person will. Of course This is his theory that poor people will be more inclined towards doing corruption , kunke jiska pait bhara hoa ho wo kia corruption karega.Its a theory , i respect it.
Examples :-
Mian Nisar Gul , who won the one and only provincial assemlbly seat of PTI from Karak in Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa , He had no idelogical association with PTI , and it proved later when in 2008 election Imran Khan asked his party to boycott the elction but , Mian Nisar Gul was a power hungry person so he left PTI and contested election , won his seat and now sitting as minister with provincial govt. He has also a bad reputation and recently involved in rape case.
Zaheer Abbas Khokar PP-160, A renowned Lota , who has changed 4 Parties in last 8 years.
2002(PPPP)----->PPP(Patriot) to join government ---->2008(PML-Q) ---->2010(PTI)
He is a strong candidate because of his caste influence , all major columnist has accepted this "Quality" of him :-)
Mian Hamid Meraj -NA 123 , from a famous political family of Mian Muhammad Meraj , Ex-PML-Q member.from Rich and Strong Family support in constituency.Accepted by Haroon Rasheed as well
Ejaz Khan Jazi , NA-55 , Ex-PML-N , Another rich candidate of Rawalipindi area.
I , as a PTI admirer , demands PTI CEC to reveal criteria of selection of candidate ?
Which Political Parties rely solely on their Ideology rather and chooses candidates because of his party efforts , education , dedication to party manifesto ?Soemthing like , What sort of candidate they are looking for , for example if i want to apply for PA seat in Karachi from PTI platform , What are the qualification for becoming a candidate ?
Remember ,
I dun have money.
I do not have caste or sectarian personal influence in my locality.
I am young and therefore not much political experience but certainly have will to become a politcian :-p
and just one positive things is that
I'm reasoably educated , of course more educated than Mian Nisar Gul and Zaheer Khokar.
So Will PTI give me ticket?
Will PTI give ticket to Salmanzafar to contest elections from Lahore ?
Will PTI give ticket to Inqalabi to contest elections from Multan ?
Remember PTI has dozens of MSc , Phd level ,honest ,dedicated, hardworking , visionary members all over pakistan , specially i personally know many such members from rawalpindi , but who got the ticket in end , Mr , Ejaz Khan Jazi :-)
Also , we should consider the fact that PTI is a revolutionary Political Party whose slogan to to break existing status quo , How can you bring the revolution with same guyz who were under the governments of PPP , PML- Q ??
Remember ,
I dun have money.
I do not have caste or sectarian personal influence in my locality.
I am young and therefore not much political experience but certainly have will to become a politcian :-p
and just one positive things is that
I'm reasoably educated , of course more educated than Mian Nisar Gul and Zaheer Khokar.
So Will PTI give me ticket?
Will PTI give ticket to Salmanzafar to contest elections from Lahore ?
Will PTI give ticket to Inqalabi to contest elections from Multan ?
Remember PTI has dozens of MSc , Phd level ,honest ,dedicated, hardworking , visionary members all over pakistan , specially i personally know many such members from rawalpindi , but who got the ticket in end , Mr , Ejaz Khan Jazi :-)
Also , we should consider the fact that PTI is a revolutionary Political Party whose slogan to to break existing status quo , How can you bring the revolution with same guyz who were under the governments of PPP , PML- Q ??
1 - Jamat-e-Islami
I may have thousands of differnces with JI , but they are certainly an ideological party. Usually they are not bothered by financial and caste influence of candidate.
- Candidate selection is soloely on the basis of his "Khidmaat in Party" .A candidate should be a dedicated Jamati Worker :-).
- And should be ideologically as hard as rock.Should have a firm belief on Modoodi Political vision :-).
- Most of the JI candidates have background of Islami Jamiat Taliba in their past and are quite well experienced in holding positions , managing party affairs , patience.
- Because of their ideological association , they usually can take stand for their party , does not leave party in difficult times , can survive torture of govts. have proper political training of agitation and survival in tough times.
- Jamat-e-Islami take most of the burden of election campaign , they have donation system of "Zar-e-Tawun" , which in the end is used for party day to day affairs and in election campaign for holding corner meeting ,publishing posters , hand bills etc. Thus candidate does not have to bother about money matters , It happens USUALLY or most of the time , but of course some are exceptional cases , e.g; Haneef Abbasi turned to a Lota :-).
- Jamat-e-Islami does not have this history of accepting "lotas" from different parties and giving them election tickets right away like PTI.
2 - MQM
- MQM is the only party which has truly Ideological system in party.
- MQM set trend in Pakistani politics in giving tickets to middle class and even poor workers.We have example like Farooq Sattar who used to live in a very small house, Mustafa Kamal , Sufyan Yusuf , Sagheer Siddiqui , who are from middle class families.
- Intellectuals are always rewrded in MQM , Like KhushBakht Shujaat , Kishwar Zehra , Allama Abbas Kumeli , Abdul Khaliq Peerzada etc.
- Young , inexperienced members are encouraged , almost 50% of MQM Parliamentarians are quite young , educated and inexperienced.
- Dedicated workers who have working history in APMSO (student wind) are preferred.
- All the elections are 100% , yes 100% financially supported by Party funds .Candidate does not have to spend a single penny.
- MQM , voters give vote to MQM , sometime we do not even know who is the candidate from our constituency , what is his name , Its about Party policy which we consider.
- Almost in every new term , MQM brings 30-40% fresh candidates so that everyone gets chance to reach in assembly and serve accordingly . There is NO as such "Family Seat" for a particular constituency in MQM.
- Though i think that in GB election , MQM did not follow these rules eaxctly as they follow in KHI , n they did a small candidate based politics , but its a rare incident.
Let me give you an idea in simple Pictorial terms :-) That how Candidate based politics and Ideological Politics differs even in Election posters :-)
Election Posters of Different Parties
Candidate is very important in PTI , PML-N , PML-Q and in PPPP
Now See the Difference between MQM Election Posters ,
There are no such Pictures of CANDIDATES :-)
Maximum you would find is name of candidate :-) But not Like other parties where candidate picture is necessary
In last a Nice Article By Ata-ul-Qasmi about Candidate based voting
who has sympathies with PMl-N but this time he writes quite honestly
Feel free to put forward your opinion about this candidate based Voting trend Vs Ideological Vote bank.