Adil Najam
We want to do a blogging experiment (which requires us to put all comments under moderation) and really let our readers write this post on Pakistan’s Elections 2008. What we are doing is not unique, but there is a twist to how we wan to do it.
First, here is the question we want you to answer for us:
Please tell us which political leader or party you support, or you think should be supported, in Pakistan’s elections 2008 and why?
Now, here are the rules – and we will implement these rules strictly, so please do read them carefully. All comments that meet these criteria will be published. Comments that do not meet these criteria will not.
Rule #1: It is not enough to say who you think should be supported, you need to tell us WHY you think they should be supported. In fact, getting to the WHY is the only real point to the exercise.
Rule #2: We understand the importance of comparison and competition in politics, but you are NOT allowed to say who should NOT be supported (or why they should not be supported). You can only tell us who should be supported and why. You can only tell us who you think is ‘good’ and what is ‘good’ about them. Any mention at all of who you think is ‘bad’ or what is ‘bad’ about others will disqualify the comment.
Rule #3. Please do not try to be too “clever.” We are sure you are all very bright and we also know that you are passionate about your preferences. All of that is very good. However, in our moderation we will err on the side of caution and delete any attempt at all to circumvent Rule #2. So, please read your comment carefully before submission to make sure that it cannot be inadvertently understood as an attempt to get around Rule #2.
Rule #4. This brings us to our last and final rule. All comments on this post are placed automatically in moderation and will appear only after a system moderator approves them as having met the rules laid out here. Over the next couple of days we will try to look at the moderation queue as often as we can to reduce the time that comments stay in moderation. However, do please expect some delays between your posting a comment and its appearing here. Also, if you feel that your comment has been moderated, you are welcome to repost the comment this time wording it in a way that meets all these rules, especially Rule #2. While commenters are welcome to post comments more than once – especially if they are building on someone else’s comment – we will remove multiple comments from the same person if the content is the same or very similar; please, do not try to spam us with such repeated comments.
If you think that your leader or party has not gotten a fair deal from us at ATP or the media or the electorate, here is your opportunity to make a case for them. You can make a case for anyone you want. You just cannot make a case against anyone.
I realize that we do often make choices based primarily on what or who we do not like, rather than who or what we like. There is nothing wrong per se with that, but for our purpose we are taking that option off the table.
Too many of us take too much please, too often, in being cynical. Therefore, I suspect that focusing on our positive energies might turn out to be rather difficult for some of our readers. I sincerely hope that I am wrong.
I believe that one should vote for the PPP. Not because they are the most honest of the lost but our current problems are more closely related to the integration of the federation. To keep the pakistani federation from breaking up I think only the PPP has the required amount of support in the villages as well as in the cities.
I am not a Paki and so shud not be interfering but had I been one I would have voted for PML-N and NS. NS is the guy who can take liberals as well as fundoos together, he is a businesslike practical man who can come up with practical solns for the problems facing the country. He can also make peace with India. And has been uncomprising in his oppn to Mush.
And I find him quite cute as well.
Regards
For me, the decision of whom to vote for depends on different factors for national and provincial assemblies.
For National assembly election, I vote for party irrespective of who the individual candidate is. The reason is that while making national policies, the ideology and leanings of a particular party are much more important than whether I like or dislike a particular candidate.
For provincial assembly elections, I believe personal characteristics of candidates become more significant as provincial assemblies are primarily concerned with development work and for social infrastructure. A candidate who is more attuned to the infrastructural problems of his constituency and is easily accessible should definitely have an edge, although party affiliations cannot be completely ignored.
To cut it short, for the National Assemble elections, my vote is for:
PML (N)
Reasons:
1 Its support for restoration of judiciary.
2. It has a leadership that can unite all spectrums of our society.
Pakistan Peoples Party –PPP.
It is Pakistan’s only national party.
It has never been allowed to complete its mandate.
It is the only party that was not created or nurtured by the military or ISI.
It gave voice to the poor in a country where the Sahib loag never cared about the poor. Doesn’t matter if they were unable to deliver much. Their terms were always interrupted.
PPP brings together the entire mosaic of Pakistan –Baloch tribals, Pathan traders, Sindhi landlords and peasants, Punjabis, Seraikis and Urdu-Speaking intelligentsia.
Above all, the PPP has sacrificed more and has always been cheated and hated by the establishment. It always got more votes than any other party in Pakistan and I believe in the wisdom of the people rathern than the superiority of the theories of the educated class.
I owe it to Benazir Bhutto, the most courageous woman in Pakistan’s history, to vote for PPP. None of her critics would be able to go through even 5% of what she went through. It had to be belief and determination because so much sacrifice is not possible just for power. Other Pakistani leaders have folded under much less pressure.
Tehreek Insaaf
1. Imran khan’s sincerity is beyond doubt
2. He is honest and cares for his people
3. He won’t be blackmailed by the traditional politicians
4. Imran is the only politician with priciples and personality to control the military
5. he can be acceptable to both liberal and conservative minds
6. he has already delivered when given a responsibility (as cricket captain and social worker and the member of parliament from his contituency in mianwali)