EDITORIAL : THE DAWN, PAKISTAN

OIC-AL inaction

THE rising death toll in Syria is perhaps not as shocking as the paralysis that has gripped the Arab League and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. Fridays in Syria have become days of bloodbath. Last Friday saw at least 75 people reportedly killed in protests across the country as security forces fired on demonstrators what an eyewitness called a rain of bullets. The scale and intensity of pro-democracy demonstrations have escalated, so have the people’s demands. If President Bashar al-Assad had yielded to their demands, which were quite modest in the beginning, the protests could perhaps have been managed. Now, because of the brutality with which the regime is crushing the uprising, the people no more want mere reform; they want a liquidation of the Baathist regime. The Assad family has been ruling Syria for more than four decades, and has never had any qualms about using force to crush dissent. In 1982, the president’s father, Hafez al-Assad, crushed a revolt in Hama in a way that shocked the world.
Today, the people of Bahrain, Libya, Syria and Yemen are up in arms against their unpopular regimes and paying with their blood. Yet it is shocking that the two forums that are supposed to represent the Arab and Islamic peoples — the AL and the OIC — have either not stirred or failed to adopt a uniform policy based on principles. In Libya, the AL called upon Nato to enforce a ‘no fly’ zone, but developed cold feet when Nato air strikes led to heavy civilian casualties. In Yemen, all that the AL has done is to call for a peaceful transition of power, but in Bahrain it looked the other way while the regime targeted the protesters. Its silence gave carte blanche to the Gulf Cooperation Council to act the way it wanted, and it goes without saying that the GCC’s six monarchies agreed to send a Saudi-led force to the island to suppress the people’s freedom movement. More regretfully, the GCC has sought to give a geopolitical colour to a domestic issue by enlisting the support of the European Union.

Throughout the current crisis that began with an act of self-immolation in Tunisia and quickly spread to other Arab countries, the OIC has maintained a contemptible silence. If it doesn’t have the military muscle to spring to action the way Nato has, the least the lame-duck organisation representing the over one billion Muslims of the world could have done was to make an appeal to the UN to come to the defence of the oppressed people.

Electoral reform

A LITTLE over three years into the democratically elected government’s tenure, murmurs continue about the suitability of the current system of governance in Pakistan. We should remember that the democratic process can produce meaningfully representative results only if the election process is free, fair and transparent. Any sort of electoral misconduct — which covers the spectrum from rigging to inefficiency — renders the process meaningless and produces results that do not necessarily reflect the people’s choices. A report released recently by the International Crisis Group, Reforming Pakistan’s Electoral Process, points out how electoral misconduct and rigging has undermined democratic development, the rule of law and political stability; it has weakened the political process, brought in unrepresentative governments and facilitated interventionists. Calling for major electoral reform, including the functioning of the Election Commission of Pakistan — which it accuses of historically colluding with the civil-military bureaucracy to manipulate polls — the ICG
points out that in addition to structural reform and technical proficiency, a political environment conducive to fair elections is necessary.
There is little doubt that the electoral process here needs reform at almost all levels. Some of the problems are relatively simple to tackle: for example, installing systematic training programmes for ECP staff and putting in more effort to analyse flaws in past elections. Then, as the report suggests, temporary election staff should be barred from officiating in their home districts and observers provided unfettered access to polling stations. Making the ECP entirely autonomous and giving it full financial independence appears trickier. However, it is vital that the political parties arrive at a consensus and demonstrate the will to institute across-the-board electoral reforms; this is in their own and their constituents’, interest. With general elections scheduled for 2013, political parties must recognise that they stand to lose most if the elections are flawed. They must recognise that undercutting the electoral process in order to undermine each other, as was the case
during the 1990s, only shrinks the space in which they operate. Several allegedly faulty by-elections have already taken place, which bodes ill
for the general elections. It is time that parliament took ownership of the electoral process.

A class act

THE curtain has fallen on a brilliant showbiz career. With the death of veteran actor Moin Akhtar in Karachi on Friday, a key chapter in Pakistan’s entertainment history has come to a close. Though it is common to remember the departed with superlatives, Moin Akhtar was no doubt an iconic performer, his razor-sharp wit and comedic genius having few parallels in the industry. Perhaps his versatility was the key to his success, as the late actor had a diverse portfolio, having worked in television, film as well as on stage. Active since the 1960s, it was in the ’80s that Moin Akhtar’s graph really shot up, with outstanding performances in TV skits as well as stage productions. His unbeatable combination with writer Anwar Maqsood produced some truly memorable moments, with the late actor hilariously mimicking the high and the mighty as well as characters from everyday life.

His popularity crossed socio-economic boundaries while it also bridged the generational divide. The actor also mimicked a host of different ethnicities without offending anyone. Possibly that is what set Moin Akhtar apart from other comic actors: his comedy was classy and he made people laugh without resorting to ribaldry.
In an atmosphere where there is so much bad news Moin Akhtar offered side-splitting respite from an all-enveloping negativity. His appearance on the screen or on stage was enough to put a smile on people’s faces. His intelligent, deadpan one-liners and witty mannerisms would have audiences in stitches, as he managed to say so much between the lines, aided by his impish gestures. His death is the nation’s loss and it is fair to say that Moin Akhtar will be an irreplaceable talent. It seems as if he left too soon, but he leaves behind countless admirers who will cherish his art. May he rest in peace.