The April Fool Referendum

It is the last opportunity for the military to institutionalize its predominant power in the country for decades to come and the only chance for the people to save themselves from being ruled through the barrel of a gun. The military may win this battle but it will destroy the very nation it is so proud to rule

General Pervez Musharraf and his coterie may pretend to have won the April 30 referendum but they will find it difficult to sell that ‘win’ at home or abroad. The people of Pakistan have matured enough over the years and cannot be fooled in this manner. Besides, the rigging was so brazen that it will embarrass any foreign government to accept the exercise and its result as a democratic process.

The actual turnout will remain a mystery but the disinterest of the people was quite apparent from the deserted look at polling stations across the country. The people’s decision to stay away was regardless of the boycott by the opposition parties. Most non-voting people interviewed during the course of the day expressed their disgust over the expense incurred on an exercise whose results were predetermined. Their apprehension proved right as the referendum was flagrantly rigged and planned in a way that made the secrecy of the ballot a farce.

Many polling stations were strategically placed to ensure that “captive” voters had no choice but to cast their votes. Polling stations in jails produced 100 per cent turnout. Labourers working in factories, where the polling stations were situated within the premises of their workplace, were monitored to vote by their employers. Government employees were given no choice and had to vote. For example, the polling station in the Punjab Secretariat left no option for an employee to stay away from the ballot. Since there were no electoral lists, categories of citizens by profession were marked as “captive” voters. Doctor, lawyers and teachers in government services were all targeted. Nothing was left to chance. Secret ballot was cast only in exceptional cases.

By and large, the voters were seen stamping the green circle for “yes” in public. Every polling station had an earmarked supervisor, and in a number of places their names were printed on a banner hanging outside the polling station. In most cases it was the toughest and roughest councillor from the new crop of local government leaders. In other places, a political party was made accountable to ensure a decent turnout. At Adabistan-e-Sufia near Mozang, the banner said “Zair-e-nigrani Muslim League” (under Muslim League’s supervision) and it certainly was. Mr Akhtar Rasul and Khawaja Riaz, former admirers of Nawaz Sharif, were seen busy supervising the voting in the school, where three polling stations were set up side by side for easy multi-voting facility. Buses full of Okara residents arrived after 3 p.m. to pull up the number of votes cast in these polling stations. This, too, did not seem to achieve the planned target because by 6.30 pm the presiding officer was complaining that the cronies of the Muslim League had crossed all limits.

They had supervised multiple voting but eventually resorted to stuffing ballot boxes while the helpless election staff looked on. In another location, eleven polling stations stood side by side from station no. 2215 to 2226, where the cronies of Nazim Tariq Sana Bajwa slapped a professor of FC College, Lahore. Some women complained that the polling was taken over by councillors and the election officers on duty were being intimidated. These women simply wanted to get away. At Union Council 81 polling station 3774, we were told at 7 p.m. that 930 votes were cast. Within 5 minutes, the number rose to 1200, with only 7 voters in sight. This polling station was being supervised by the traders of Chauburji Board who were distributing a press release inside the polling station, hailing the outcome of the referendum. Voters in the factory premises were not marked with indelible ink as required. The reason given for dispensing with this formality was that they were not permitted to leave the premises and, therefore, not likely to re-vote.

A supervisor-councillor explained the violation of the secrecy provision as a mark of patriotism. Councillors had distributed blank photocopied verification of voters which were being filled out inside the polling stations. Workers of the traders in Gulberg complained that they were expected to vote in three places; at Liberty, main market and M M Alam road. Votes were seen taken to the very doorstep of tardy voters. A woman employee of Camp Jail was seen with a copy of votes walking towards the residential quarters of jail staff. Voters were photographed removing the ink inside the polling stations. In Model Town, councillor Gogi Shah was rotating voters from polling station to polling station. A woman admitted that she was compelled by him to cast her vote.

Women’s participation was extremely low. Some women workers from the Municipality Committee were driven around to cast votes. The bus driver unhesitantly showed an order from the Superintendent of Police authorizing the use of his vehicle for referendum duty. The visibility of women was very low and at many polling stations there was hardly 3-5 percent turnout of women in comparison to male voters. There was, admittedly, some enthusiasm for the referendum among the minorities and they did vote in significant numbers; understandably, they were keen to participate in a national activity after being sidelined for over two decades. The expenses for this humiliating referendum must be staggering. Presiding election officers were promised a payment of Rs.650 and their assistants Rs.575. In every polling station, there was one presiding officer and at least 2 assistants.

According to the Election Commission, 87274 polling stations were set up throughout Pakistan, thereby incurring a minimum expenditure of around Rs 160 million only for the payment of election staff-which is a small fraction of the expenses for the referendum. The tall claims of high turnout and overwhelming support to the referendum will only distance the rulers from the people. Widespread and institutionalized rigging is hard to conceal. It was a farce played on the very people who are now being persuaded to believe in its validity. Such humiliation is bound to be counterproductive.

There is a genuine worry that if this pattern repeats itself in October, where polling agents of all parties are present, violence on a large scale cannot be ruled out. This referendum has given the worst elements within our society a political space to prove their worth. Under the patronage of the government they will make life miserable for an ordinary person living under their shadow. From now until October, Pakistan once again lives an unstable life full of apprehensions. The stakes get higher and higher. It is the last opportunity for the military to institutionalize its predominant power in the country for decades to come and the only chance for the people to save themselves from being ruled through the barrel of a gun. The military may win this battle but it will destroy the very nation it is so proud to rule.

Previously published in The Daily Times