KARACHI - There are less chances of any electoral alliance of nationalist groups and other opposition parties to give tough time to the ruling PPP in the coming local government elections in Sindh.
Even the nationalist groups have not made preparations, which would be a plus point to gain more strength in the local government polls for PPP though the Sindh ruling party is in disarray and is facing anger of masses for allegedly dividing the province into two administrative systems in May 2013 through the local government law, opined political analysts.
Talking to The Nation, political analyst and Centre for Peace and Civil Society executive director, Jami Chandio, said the nationalist groups had missed the opportunity to give tough time to the ruling PPP in the upcoming local government elections as they were not prepared for the polls.
Chandio opined the nationalist parties were not in a position to defeat the ruling PPP as they were not serious to do homework for the local body polls.
“There were more suitable circumstances and political grounds for the nationalist groups to win the last elections when PPP had faced anger of the masses over its alleged blunder of enforcing very controversial local government law which had divided the province into two administrative systems, one for Karachi and the other for rest of the province,” the political analyst opined, adding he did not expect any electoral alliance of nationalist groups or federal parties like PML-N and PML-F.
He further said that no competition was in sight in the coming local government elections against PPP in the rural districts of the Sindh province. He pointed out that the recent amendments adopted by the PPP government in the local government law through the ordinance had further diminished the chances of nationalists and other parties to show performance in the elections because the changes in the law allowed the candidates to contest the polls in a panel with a single symbol as it would be difficult for the anti-PPP parties to field a panel of candidates in every constituency of Sindh.
When contacted, nationalist leader and Qaumi Awami Tehreek (QAT) President Ayaz Latif Palejo advocate confirmed that so far no one had taken initiative of forming electoral alliance of likeminded parties to defeat the ruling PPP in local government polls in Sindh. He said his party would field candidates on all the constituencies as a mass-contact drive was in progress.
The nationalist leader further said PML-F had contacted him, but no alliance had come under discussion. He alleged the ruling PPP had planned to rig the polls, but the people of Sindh would foil its attempt to do so.
PML-F leader Jam Madad Ali told The Nation that no formal contacts or efforts had been made by any party in connection with formation of an electoral alliance against the ruling PPP.
He hoped that likeminded parties in Sindh could agree on minimum points to field joint candidates in the local government polls. However, political analysts are of the opinion that no alliance of nationalists or federal parties is in the offing, which will benefit the PPP in the polls.
Meanwhile, Sindh Information and local Government Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon has said the provincial government needs time to conduct fair, impartial and transparent elections, adding they must be held in March. “It is not possible to conduct the local government elections in January,” he said.
According to an official statement, the information minister said that according to the bill passed by the Sindh Assembly, the provincial government and the election commission were bound to consult each other before issuing an election schedule. It was better to hold the elections on the same day all over the country, he suggested. He added: “There should be no haste in issuing an election schedule. The use of magnetic ink should be made compulsory besides ensuring endorsement of voter lists and enrollment of new voters.”