The approval of the draft law in the Senate to increase the powers of the Election Commission is a controversial step for democracy in Pakistan. The bill, which gives the Election Commission the authority to unilaterally announce the election dates without consulting the President, is expected to give the Commission arbitrary powers to perform its duties without any checks and balance.
The current system, in which the President has the power to accept dissolution of the National Assembly and call elections, has been effective for smooth conduct of elections.
The new law will prevent powers by the President. It will also give the Election Commission more flexibility in scheduling elections. We have seen this time that the chief election commissioner has failed to conduct elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after these assemblies were dissolved.
The abolition of lifelong disqualification for parliamentarians is another positive step. This provision was often used by the previous government to target its political opponents. In particular, it was used to disqualify former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The new law will make it more difficult for the government to use the disqualification provision to silence its critics. This is a welcome development for democracy in Pakistan.
There are some concerns about the new law and these must be addressed. The Election Commission will not be able to handle the increased powers effectively as the new law will make it easier for the government to rig elections.
These are valid concerns. The Election Commission will need to be strengthened and its independence must be guaranteed if it is to effectively exercise its new powers. The government must also commit to holding free and fair elections if the new law is to be successful.