Electoral system geared towards protects of vested interests: Dr Abbasi

In any democracy, Parliament, which is protector of democratic traditions, is responsible for carrying out legislation on emerging issues in larger public interest. But an institution where legislation is undertaken to suit the interests of the privileged elite and for protection of their vested interests cannot be called democratic. The authoritarianism of a few families and a select group of people stays intact in Pakistan in the name of democracy and dubbing this as ‘parliamentary democracy’ is also erroneous. Merely ritual of elections cannot be equated with democracy.

These views were expressed by Dr Raheeq Ahmad Abbasi during his meeting with a delegation of Pakistan Awami Tehreek from Southern Punjab, which called on him in Lahore.

Dr Abbasi said that instituting real system of democracy was a long drawn out process. Accountability, rule of law and system of checks and balances were the necessary ingredients of any democratic dispensation. Without these preconditions, democracy can neither evolve nor can cater to aspirations of the people, he stated.

Dr Abbasi said that drastic reforms were required in the way elections are conducted in the country so that true leadership representative of the people could emerge. He asked the people that a golden opportunity was up in a few months’ time where they were expected to deliver their verdict. They way we take up this opportunity and use it would determine whether we are going to change our lot or continue to be stuck up in political backwater, he added.