The problems that marred the second round of Sindh’s local body elections, according to the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), do not auger well for the general elections, which are anticipated later this year.
Local elections on January 15 were hampered by delayed results, which led political groups including Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and others to accuse the elections of being rigged.
In its assessment on the polls, the FAFEN stated that “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.”
According to the electoral watchdog, many of these difficulties are caused by flaws in the legal system that oversees elections, which must be fixed through extensive conversations with all political actors, regardless of their political differences, coming together for electoral reforms.
According to the report, the process of democratisation would continue to deteriorate along with popular confidence in democracy and its capacity to raise peoples’ social and economic well-being unless elections result in political stability.
