PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Sunday that the results of the first phase of local government elections in Sindh and Punjab were proof that the party was very much alive and had the support of the people. Brushing aside claims by rivals and political analysts that the PPP was in decline and had lost popular support, he said: “I wish to felicitate the PPP candidates who won the LG polls and [demonstrated] yet again that contrary to the predictions of gloom and doom by some self-styled analysts, the party, far from down and out, is buoyant and resilient.” The PPP, which ruled the country from 2008 to 2013, had faced the worst defeat in the last general elections and it was believed that its political graph had fallen to an unprecedented level mainly because of faulty decisions and policies of Mr Zardari. Winning over 720 seats in Sindh against expectations certainly makes for a sweet victory for the PPP but the celebrations could be coming too soon. LB polls are more about a local candidate’s show of influence and muscle than the party’s image or programme so it was not surprising that some candidates did not use Zardari’s pictures on their banners. Most troubling is the smug face of PPP central Punjab president Manzoor Wattoo, who despite being able to deliver a paltry 50 seats in the Punjab region, was congratulating the party for showing resilience. The celebrations and statements from the PPP top brass seem to be more of relief than self-belief as the beleaguered party has certainly come under major pressure due to the ongoing operation in Karachi. The operation has led to senior party officials being accused of corruption and aiding terrorists while its chief minister in the province has often given the appearance of a sitting duck. What can certainly be said is that the first phase of the LB elections has delivered a timely boost to the cadre of PPP workers who had begun to lose faith in the party. While Zardari has congratulated the party, it is his son, Bilawal, who has spoken of the need to revive the PPP in Punjab before it acquires the status of a provincial party. Bilawal recognises that the PPP is fast losing its position as the only genuine federal party in Pakistan. The party’s performance in Punjab can only be termed shameful and perhaps it is time for a shakeup in the party’s Punjab leadership. The victory in Sindh could easily become a moment that brings more complacency within the PPP. There is certainly little that the party has improved in terms of governance in Sindh. This is why the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has pointed once again to the fact that tribal and caste affiliations were key to who won in the first phase of local bodies elections.
pk.shafaqna.com
