GB Elections: Can We Learn From Our Past Mistakes?

M Karim Shah 

Every five years we come across the practice of electing our representatives for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly (GBLA), or any other name that existed in the past.

Every time new promises are chanted by the candidates and soon after getting elected they they forget what they were saying just a few days or weeks ago and then with time even we the public give up asking them or reminding them.

I would like to discuss two aspects of this process.

First: Why is it so that these representatives very quickly turn away from the claims they make during their election campaign?

There are many reasons. The most obvious is that these candidates know what issues are very demanding for the public. They know how to instigate the dormant nature of a common man and awaken his or her interest in the election process. They chant these common public issues so often that the common man starts thinking of him/her as the best candidate. This thinking leads to voting. The voters, sooner than later, realize that the promises were fake, the slogans were hollow and the promises were never meant to be materialized.

Once elected, these representatives never dare to mention the real issues and their promises again. They visit their constituency so rare that even if they come they are treated as guest and before anyone can remind him/her the old promises he/she is gone back to his place of hideout ‘the assembly’.

Now, what should be done to avoid this? I will discuss that issue some other time.

The second part is about the ones who lose the elections. Though they too do their best to make ‘to be unfulfilled’ promises but some how they lose. Too often, they also disappear from the area like they never existed. They start reappearing with the announcement and talks of the next general elections.

I wouldn’t like to suggest any rapid fix for these issues. However, I think that once we realize that these elections are going to have greater impact on at-least next five years of our lives, then we might think in some different way to value our vote.

Originally posted at GBVOTES.PK