PPP and PML-N agreed to agree

Ultimately, the two largest political parties in parliament, the PPP and the PML-N have reportedly reached an accord on the draft of the 20^th Constitutional Amendment and on steps to ensure fair and transparent elections.

Although the agreement has yet to be announced publically, the two should be congratulated.

The PPP agreed on three of the four presumptions put up by the PML-N including appointment of an independent chief election commissioner, empowering political parties to fill the reserved seats for women and transfer of the EOBI, Worker’s Welfare Fund and Sheikh Zayed Hospital from the centre to the provinces.

In a bid to remove the last hurdle, the PPP also showed its willingness on the stubborn issue of installing a caretaker setup with consultation.  It claimed that it could have passed the 20^th amendment as it has had the required two-third majority, seeking the PML-N support only to uphold the government’s record of making constitutional changes collectively.

However, some circles do not accept the PPP’s claim. Whatsoever the logic, the incumbent failed for the sixth time to table the bill of the constitutional amendment in the National Assembly (NA). The hiccups have never been ended hitherto.

The PML-N will not second the government on the amendment bill until agreements are made a part of the final bill, as the PPP’s record is not satisfactory in keeping its promises.

Furthermore, the government will has to take its coalition partners onboard before taking the agreements to the cabinet for final approval. A two-member committee comprising one each from the PML-N and the PPP, formed to propose a consensus draft, indicated that everything has not been thus far.

Apparently this is the reason the public announcement has not been made thus far. At the same time, the PML-N has been accused of using pressure maneuvers to get its demands consented. Similar things have been done by the PML-Q and MQM in the very fresh memory.

This is called beauty of democracy. One calls it flexibility in dealing with political forces or taking everybody along or remaining flexible, when it suits. The social impacts of the decisions taken by the leaders are matter in politics rather than short-term tactics.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=12437

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Feb 11 2012. Filed under National, Opinion, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.