Pakistan Elections

Today is a big day for Pakistan, Election Day 2008.

Now, the Presidential Elections has already occurred, due to legal deadlines, but the Parliamentary Elections occur today after a set-back with a major candidate assassination. What's the importance?

1. The Parliament represents the legislative body of Pakistan. They make the laws through two Houses (i.e. National Assembly and Senate).
2. There are many political parties competing (ex. PML-N, PML-Q, and PPP are the most prominent). The candidate needs the most votes, but not necessarily a majority. The party that gets the most candidates chooses the Prime Minister, which is a powerful position in Pakistan - now that the President has relinquished his dual role as head of the military.
3. The winning candidates have locally significant powers to their constituents: allocating funds for projects, pressuring for job positions or job transfers, and handling civil disputes.
   

Across the country, many people have traveled back to their ancestral or previous homes to vote. Government schools and other localities have become 64, 176 polling stations across the nation (ex. 382 in Islamabad) [source].

While these migrations and votes occur, there is the threat of violence so security is high across the country. The rural areas offer the most danger due to their isolation. Nonetheless, I'm at least hopeful that people will still vote. The participation is more important than the candidate, to me. Again in my opinion, there needs to be an optimism and an expectation of performance from these candidates that will serve for the next five years in the Parliament.


In a follow-up from a previous posting, the Parliamentary candidate that I was following in the winter called me yesterday. He was optimistic about today's election. I know today will be a busy organization day for him as his transports his ancestral tribe to vote for him and his brother as PML-Q candidates for the National Assembly and Senate, respectively.

[There is a high cost of elections for candidates - recognize that candidates often sell-off large portions of their land just to succeed in elections. That is, no campaigning is bringing in money for local candidates - only expenses].

Good luck to all candidates, and safe voting to everyone else!

Appendix:
Polling Begins for Pakistan General Elections