The Hindu : 'Only a limited transfer of power in Pakistan'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 27, 2002

International

International

'Only a limited transfer of power in Pakistan'

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD OCT. 26. The Commonwealth Election Observers Group for Pakistan has said that the just-concluded elections in the country would only lead to a limited transfer of power from the military to a civilian set-up and it was up to the Commonwealth to decide whether it was enough to let Pakistan back into the forum as a full-fledged member.

In a 67-page report on the October 10 general election to the National and four Provincial Assemblies, the Group, led by the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Musa Hitam, gave a "clean chit" to the Musharraf regime on the transparency of election on the polling day. However, it has more or less endorsed the view of the election observers of the European Union that the whole process of election as such was seriously flawed.

"We leave it to Commonwealth leaders to determine whether a limited democratic dispensation, which this is, is consistent with their definition of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values.

"The Commonwealth Secretary-General should remain engaged in monitoring the development of democratic processes and institutions in Pakistan and the remaining phases of the transition to full democracy. The Secretary-General should also offer and make available to the appropriate authorities such as technical assistance as might be requested for this process," it said.

The Musharraf Government was not pleased with the report of the E.U. observers. In a sharp reaction to the blunt remarks of the E.U., the Pakistan President, Pervez Musharraf, had made it known that they had exceeded their brief. While the managers of the military Government have argued that the job of the observers was to observe election on the polling day, the EU and Commonwealth have sought to assert that the whole process of election needed to be considered in evaluating its `free and fair' nature.

Commonwealth observers have conceded that the elections constituted a welcome step in that they introduced elected national and provincial assemblies where there was previously only a military regime, which seized power through the unconstitutional overthrow of a democratically-elected Government.

However, their quarrel with Gen. Musharraf is more on fundamental things such as his assumption of the role of President for a further period of five years and institutionalisation of the role of military in governance.

These elections have particular significance for the Commonwealth. Immediately after the military coup, the association suspended Pakistan from the Councils of the Commonwealth for its violation of the Commonwealth's fundamental political values, as embodied in the Harare Commonwealth Declaration.

The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in South Africa shortly after the military takeover condemned the overthrow of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and called for the restoration of a civilian democratic rule without delay.

At their meeting in Coolum, Australia, in March 2002, the Heads of Government decided on "Pakistan's suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth should remain unchanged pending the restoration of a democratic government. In that regard, they welcomed the commitment of the Government of Pakistan to hold democratic elections by October 2002, and agreed that the Commonwealth Secretary-General should have an active monitoring role in the period leading to the restoration of democracy, including the deployment of Commonwealth observers".

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group scheduled to meet sometime in November would evaluate the report of the observers group.

It for the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth, ultimately, to decide on whether or not to let Pakistan back into the forum as a full-fledged member.

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