Adil Najam
In a dramatic but not entirely unexpected move, the Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani has announced that all Local Bodies have been dissolved and the forthcoming Local elections have been postponed because of the law and order situation. Administrators will be appointed by the Provincial governments from the bureaucracy to replace Nazims until elections are held.
Meanwhile, according to APP, the Prime Minister also announced that the decision of appointing administrators did not mean that the local government system would be abolished. “It has been unanimously agreed by the provinces that administrators will be appointed and the local bodies elections will be held after the law and order situation improves,” he added.
In a decision with deep developmental implications, the twice-postponed national census was also postponed – yet again.
According to a report in The News that did not hide its own views on the issue:
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced dissolving the local governments throughout the country and postponed local bodies elections till improvement in the law and order situation. The decision would mean an effective return to the old ways of bureaucratic bigwigs lording over the masses, who would once again have no influence or say in the management of matters at the grassroots level.
The prime minister said non-political administrators would replace elected Nazims from August. He also revived the executive magistracy system in the country. “A decision to this effect has unanimously been taken by all the provinces and now I would consult the president on the subject and a decision is expected within four weeks,†he said while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday after chairing an Inter-Provincial Coordination meeting at the Prime Minister Secretariat.
Flanked by Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP chief ministers, governor of the NWFP, Punjab Provincial Minister for Local Government Dost Muhammad Khosa and Chief Executive of Northern Areas and Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, the prime minister said it was also decided to postpone census till the end of the year. “We will take up this issue again by the end of the current year to review the situation in the country, as the NWFP government has requested to this effect as it is hard to hold census in the province due to insurgency in some areas of the province,†he said. The premier said there was demand that census should be held by the Army to ensure its transparency but the Army is engaged against militants. The prime minister said the government had also decided to postpone the local government elections till a favourable environment and to amend the Police Order 2002.
“The local government elections could not be held due to prevailing law and order situation in the country as there is insurgency in the NWFP and whenever there is an environment conducive for an election exercise it would be held,†he said. Gilani said the administrators would be non-political people and the provincial government would appoint them from the bureaucracy. “The appointment of the administrators is the prerogative of the provincial governments as we believe in the provincial autonomy,†he added.
He, however, said competent and neutral government officers would be appointed as administrators. He said there was consensus among the provinces that the magistracy system should be revived and for this necessary amendments would be made to the law. He said it was also decided in the meeting to amend the Police Order 2002 in the light of demands of the provincial governments according to the Constitution. He said in this regard, the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) and ministries concerned would be taken on board for formulating recommendations.
Asked whether the government would hold the local government elections on party basis or non-party basis, the prime minister replied the PPP in its election manifesto had clearly taken the line of party-based local government elections but the holding of the local government elections was a prerogative of the provincial governments and it was up to them to decide the mode of the elections. When asked about the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s opposition to dissolving the local governments, he said the Sindh chief minister would take them into confidence on the consensus decision of all the four chief ministers.
How do you react to this development and what it means for democracy and devolution in Pakistan. Was this necessary? Good? Bad? Or outright Ugly?
@anticorruption. your point of view is well understood. Thx.
Owais and Sohaib:
The plan is to remove the system of devolution, bring the districts permanently back under the control of deputy commissioners. In order to give the impression of not having totally done away with grass roots democracy, they will put in place a toothless system in its place in which the elected local bodies will have no real powers. This has got nothing to do with law and order. The real problem is that our political leadership does not want democracy at the grass roots because it threatens their hold on power by creating a large number of small constituencies where even an ordinary citizen can contest elections without having to be very rich.
Just another instance of political interests coming before national interests. It’s instructive to see how politicians at the national and provincial levels are using anti-political rhetoric to consolidate their power and dissolve the LGs. Bureaucrats are automatically associated with competence and neutrality while politicians with their opposites. Not only does this blithely ignore the corruption and inefficiency pervasive in the old system but it also employs the same spurious logic that bureaucrats and armymen use to snatch power at the center. We need democratic leaders at the helm of government at all levels instead of fat cat bureaucrats who are responsible to no one. The LG system had its flaws but they should have been fixed and not used as a pretext to dissolve the system.
If the plan is to let the LG system continue and not let it be abandoned (as Gillani sahab stated) then it would have made more sense to extend the terms of the current nazims instead of replacing them with bureaucrats.
I am sure, though, the civil servants and DMG officers etc are jumping with joy for getting the power for an indefinite period (after all, who knows when the LG elections will be held now, if at all!)
Some comments from the ATP Facebook page:
– “i think the way this local body system was operating, it was necessary to review its structure as it has simply failed to deliver and furthermore caused lots of problems on the very grass root level. It encouraged BIRADREE system and lacked any potential of changing lives of the people on micro level. Corruption reached its height due to this system as funds were utilized in a manner that would let them be UN AUDITED. In nutt shell, i support this dissolution !”
– “I actually don’t like this decision, It seems that PPP wants their own people to be the administrators. If the local bodies elections would happened then Karachi would again voted for MQM and Lahore would have voted for PML/N.”
– “the local govt. system had failed to deliver??? as compared to what? The so called democratic system had done nothing for this country in the past decade or so before the implementation of the local govt. system. One only has to see the progress made in Karachi to see that it does work.
If at all it needs dissolution then it must not come from the federal govt. the right must be given to the provincial govt. so that it may be localized and or amended.
Furthermore the reason they dissolved this is because it left all the power in the hand’s of the people and limited the opportunities for corruption.”
– “Govt’s decision is stupid!”
– “Zardari is just Power Hungry… after imposing high taxes to loot the nation now he wants his “Chailas” to do what is left… by not havin the elections ,they’ll just chose PPP followers to rule … The government which was formed on the name of DEMOCRACY wants to CUT the roots of democracy! Local Bodies n the Nazim system were able to point out the problems faced by interior city dwellers much effectively and put the funds allocated to the rite use, now PPP will fill in the pockets with those funds…”
– “it is really bad for khi……………”
– “Govt is stupid !!!… all the decisions are stupid !!!… but the nazim system was crap too … so the decision is good,bad and ugly … all in one !!”
– “I thought Benazir said “democracy is the best revenge” -for who? As was her whole life, everything this jiala based party does escapes any form of logic or accountability. PPP has a history of undoing any good that exists in the country and weakening state institutions and infrastructure. There is no need to be alarmed, they will be booted out it. It’s their history from which all others draw strength and PPP never learns.”
– “I think it is a good decision to dissolve local Govt. at least this way the ratio of corrupt people decrease to some extent.
Bcoz before local Govt u have to pay only to government administrators n some extent they are scared of for there jobs n reputation but these local Govt ppl they are scared of nothing so there demands are high coz they know if they are in power they have there only chance next time nobody gona vote them .”
– “it shoulnt b dissolve. local nazim is able to solve problems of local people. it shouldnt be!”
– “Kindly dont look karachi in isolation. I live in karachi & i very well know what are the results. With all due respect Sir but whatever has taken place in Karachi is on MACRO LEVEL. I salute Mustafa Kamal and wish he can continue to be the incharge. Having said that, let me tell you that few dozen overhead bridges & underpasses are no metrics for development. As far as the system is concerned let me tell you that this Mayor system has always been there. Another fact that majority of the area in Karachi is with Cantonments so all that you see is not just 1 Man show.
I beg to differ with your argument that this system ensure lower level of corruption…how???? This system inculcated corruption on the very grass root level. Nazims who once used to own cable tv or simply a shop or something are now owners of buildings having 1800Cc Cars & Pajeros ..how???. Further the development funds are dispensed on party basis, area, ethnic biases etc .Have a bird eye view friend!”
– “UGLY”
– “O chado yar mausam enjoy kro……”
– “Very good decision of dissolving the Local Bodies Governments. It will stop lot of corruption/mishandling of the people funds.”
– “As far as Zardari & PPP policies & Ministers & JIALISM is CONCERNED ..all i would say is Pakistan ka ALLAH hi HAAFIZ !”
– “dont worry everything will b f9”
– “I agree with your argument of corruptions but sometime you have to ignore minor mistake for greater goods.”
– “Too Many Cooks in Pakistan have always spoiled the broth! Unfortunate for Pakistan as everyone here is an expert of everything and anything!”
– “Karachi was blessed , with this system lets c”
– “Very good decision of dissolving the Local Bodies Governments. It will stop lot of corruption/mishandling of the people funds.
but i accept that Mustafa kamal doing great job he is true Pakistani n he serve alot for Pakistan n people of Karachi.But dear frnds its true other nazim didnt do their job well they r just enjoying.they dont bothered abt peoples problems”
– “This is a good decision, bcoz here many persons which r totaly un-educated come up and they hv all powers .
and u can think urself wht they knw and wht they can do…. Nothing !!”
– “AGAIN i m raisingg this ISSUE tht i hv joined this community bcoz we were discussing the SITUATION of PAKISTAN but now i m not seeing such type activity here… PLZ COME TO REAL PROBLEMS I Apreciate this TOPIC. but currently here is anothr topic to discuss PRICE OF PETROLEUM IN PAKISTAN !!!”
– “Another example of corrupt politicians at the center trying to accumulate all power to themselves rather than allowing local issues to be dealt locally”
– “The decision is right in my view. ‘Local Bodies’ have more cons than pro.”
– “Definitely bad because local bodies are capable of managing citywide problems in a comparatively short time. Secondly, MNAs n MPAs should be taken as a source of conveying the related matters to the assemblies and high authorities but few other influential personalities of the cities should also be given chance to provide their services. Their involvement can be a positive step towards progress and development as a whole…”
– “Local bodies sysytem is best one.! but our political parties donot want any system which cut thier corruption channels..
espacially NAWAZ sharif and Zardari”