Democracy does not simply mean holding regular elections :
even dictators such as Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Robert Mugabe held
elections in which they claimed to have won almost 99.9% of the votes (No one
dared to ask what happened to the rest!)
With the criminalisation of politics and politicisation of
every sphere of activity in the country including law enforcement and justice
system as well, as a result of the
infamous 18th amendment to the constitution, holding elections has
become a big farce where the powerful government politicians openly misuse
state property to carry out election campaigns of their offsprings, kith and
kin and the hangers on who are determined to win by hook or by crook to show
the world what a popular government this
is.
To add to the woes, there is an Elections Commissioner who
is helpless in taking necessary action even under the watered-down rules of
elections as almost all the violations are done by those with political clout
and obviously the current EC does not want to end up like his predecessor who
at the end of the day had to suffer from a health condition called “Aathathiya”
With the elections law as it stands being helpless in taking
actions against candidates who are sentenced to jail terms and influential public
servants engaged in electioneering to support candidates of the ruling party;
the whole process of elections has become
a big joke.
Democracy: The state of affairs in
which you consent to having your pocket picked, and elect the best man to do
it. ~Benjamin Lichtenberg
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