Our Electoral system’s shortcomings
Mushtaq Ali
289 candidates will be contesting polls for upcoming Elections of Gilgit Baltistan Legislative Assembly.14 political and religious parties are taking part in 24 constituencies. On June 8thpeople will use their right of plebiscite .After the self-governance ordinance 2009 there is more ardor in people in relevance to Elections and polls. As the Election day comes near the hustle and bustle increases manifold times. Every contestant delivers enchanting speeches to people. They roam around people as they are in true service of people and they feel all the pains of people by heart. They go door to door and at every door step they assure that they will be panacea for all. People are prompted by instigating that they will get this that etc. after elections as we are seeing nowadays.
Their faux promises are generally insistent and accustomed. People can realize their intensity of falsity but they are captivated by their spell. In the Electoral campaign ordinary people suffer more than the contestants. Due to rallies traffic jams are usual and people face difficulties in locomotion. It becomes a paradoxical situation when people are stuck in traffic jam and the leader is promising for prosperity on the stage. During election campaign the blood relations conflict with each other. The small villages with people full of love and peace become agitated and vigorous. Hassle and scuffles are seen everywhere. A little spark results in to burning flames. Generally in our region in every village and constituency the people splits in to group under the influence of lofty persons . A title of ‘ratter’ and “apostate” is given to a person who disobeys them. After all these disobliges they get nothing.
In general our electoral system is totally failed. There is no proper surveillance record system for monitoring the votes casted by a person. While writing this article scene of Bollywood movie “boothnath Returns” flashed in my mind in which a dead person’s vote was being casted up to ten years after his death, our system has the same type of flaws. The height of rigging is that a person castes multiple votes at different polling stations. The emblem that is marked on voter’s thumb can be removed or sometimes ignored.(that depends on situation of polling stations).It becomes true that more influential person more rigging powers. Yes our country is democratic country but no democracy prevails. It has attributes of beyond fascism and dictatorship.
Besides corrupt and inept leaders our slump is due our own negligence. It is well said that“jaisi riaya hoti hai un ke aise hi humkumraan hote hain”.Our leaders good or bad all are imposed on us as per we do. Instead of becoming stalwart of any political party, it is need of hour that we should edify the scenario. We should not be persuaded by delusive promises. Another enigma of us is that we only consider our individual priorities. Mostly voters are promised of giving jobs etc. If collective demands are given preference then we will surpass in progress and development. The true beckon that gives vigor is education. Our first demand should be education. We have thousands of examples of systems adopted by developed countries. There is need of change in our system ,but no one else will come to change our fortunes. Think it! before casting your vote.
