APDM and Baluchistan:
The boycott strategy weaken
the dictatorship
By: Farooq Tariq
While not appreciating the
principal stand of All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) to boycott
this general elections on the appeal of Pakistan Bar Council,
several comrades have criticized the APDM boycott strategy. They say
that it has helped the PMLQ to win some more seats in Baluchistan.
They are enthralled by the victory of PPP and PMLN thus forgetting
all aspects of the rigged elections.
The hidden message is that the
boycott has helped the Musharaf supporters to win the seats. In
other words, the boycott strategy was to help Musharaf dictatorship.
This is all none sense.
These comrades based
themselves on the fact that masses have voted against the regime and
that the dictatorship was unable to rig the results. This is a
half-truth. Yes, masses have spoken in very clear terms against the
military dictatorship. However, there was unprecedented rigging
during the whole process of elections and more so on the Election
Day. The fact that PPP and PMLN have reasonable votes does not mean
that the elections were free and fare.
In Baluchistan, not more than
8 percent went to votes were casted according to APDM sources in
Baluchistan, yet the percentage of voting is shown more than 2002
elections. This is contrary to the facts that all Baluch nationalist
parties were boycotting the elections.
The various Baluch nationalist
parties took 32.62 percent of the total votes in the general
elections of 2002. Yet they were only able to fetch three national
assembly seats. This was because several nationalist parties were
competing each other.
From 2002 to 2008, Baluch
nationalist parties with courage contested the army action in
Baluchistan, killing of Akbar Bugti ad Bajaj Marri, disappearing of
thousands, killing of hundreds during the military actions,
displacing of thousands because of military actions, loot and
plunder of Baluchistan national assets. They were able to organize
several all Baluchistan strike actions successfully.
All the political indicators
had shown a tremendous growth of nationalist forces in Baluchistan.
If they had taken part in the 2008 elections, they would have got
the absolute majority in Baluchistan assembly. However, they
boycotted on a principal position to show solidarity with the
advocate movement. Their percentage of votes would have gone up from
32 percent of 2002.
While the MMA votes in 2002
elections were, 21.74 percent and they had six NA seats.
PMLQ had 15.62 percent votes
and won two NA seats. PMLQ had a total of 26 provincial assembly
seats and MMA had 18 seats in Baluchistan assembly. They formed the
provincial government.
Now after boycott of elections
by APDM, what is latest situation in seat terms? Has APDM helped the
PMLQ to win more seats? Let see the facts.
in 2008 rigged elections, the
PMLQ has come down from 26 to 17; MMA has come down from 18 to
seven.
While PPPP went up from 2
seats to 7. In addition, ANP was able to win two seats after 1970
general elections. Ten independents have also won. Baluchistan
National Party Awami has also won five seats.
The percentage of votes for
PMLQ and MMA is not available for 2008 elections but it is very
clear that it will never match the 37 percent of MMA and PMLQ in
2002 elections.
However, the boycott strategy
has built a tremendous pressure on the military regime and they were
unable to rig the elections, as they wanted to. There were thousands
attending APDM election rallies in Baluchistan demanding an
immediate end of military dictatorship.
The best outcome of APDM
strategy was a break to the advances of MMA. It is now split from
top to bottom. The percentage of votes has come down. There were
already many problems within the parties of MMA. However, turning
point of split came when the question of participation or no
participation in the election came.
Had the APDM with the
leadership of nationalist parties would have not decided to keep
boycotting the elections, it was doubtful that Jamaat-i-Islami would
have boycotted the elections. If MMA had contested the elections
jointly, it would have not got the same bad results that it has now.
The boycott strategy has helped the MMA split and no united election
strategy by the religious fundamentalist forces. These comrades
ignore this very positive development in their criticism of LPP
strategy.
The second positive result is
that anti Musharaf vote was not split apart from the two main
parties PPPP and PMLN. Already, the PMLQ has won some seats because
the PPP and PMLN contested each other and got very high votes but
not sufficient to win the seat. These comrades would not criticize
PPP and PMLN contesting each other and paving the way for PMLQ
victory.
IF PPPP, PMLN, MMA, AJT, and
PONAM had contested the elections on anti Musharaf agenda, it would
have helped the PMLQ to win even more seats.
The boycott strategy has not
helped the military dictatorship as these comrades have tried to say
but on the contrary has helped to weaken the military grip of the
society. That is why this golden prospect to oust Musharaf
dictatorship is been posed.
The facts speak for them and
prove the absolute wrong assessment of these comrades.
