Using results and original survey data from the November 2015 local government elections in the Sargodha District of rural Punjab, Pakistan, insights are offered into the institutional and organisational responses that can help strengthen local democracy. These results form part of a larger research project being conducted by the Institute of Development and Economic Alternatives (IDEAS), which examines how voters make choices broadly. It explores the relative weight voters give to party performance vs. candidates’ political and bureaucratic connections. It highlights the need for reporting, debate and a rule-based separation of functions and finances to strengthen local democracy in Pakistan

Callen, Michael

Cheema, Ali

Khan, Adnan Q.

Liaqat, Asad

Naseer, Muhammad Farooq

Shapiro, Jacob N.

LSE Research Online

2017­6­19 The role of election competition in strengthening Pakistan’s fledgling local democracy ­ IGChttp://www.theigc.org/blog/role­election­competition­strengthening­pakistans­fledgling­local­democracy/ 1/4Authors Asad LiaqatPhD candidateHarvard University Michael CallenAssistant Professor ofEconomics and StrategicManagementUniversity of California -San Diego Ali CheemaLead AcademicPakistan Team,Researcher Adnan KhanResearch and PolicyDirector, Lecturer, Co-chair Commission onState Fragility, Growthand DevelopmentLondon School ofEconomics and PoliticalScience (LSE) MuhammadFarooq NaseerAssistant ProfessorLahore University ofManagement Sciences Jacob ShapiroAssistant Professor ofPolitics and InternationalAffairsPrinceton UniversityPublished on: 16 Mar 2017Countries: PakistanResearch themes: State The role of election competition instrengthening Pakistan’s ﬂedglinglocal democracyUsing results and original survey data fromthe November 2015 local governmentelections in the Sargodha District of ruralPunjab, Pakistan, insights are offered into theinstitutional and organisational responsesthat can help strengthen local democracy.These results form part of a larger researchproject being conducted by the Institute ofDevelopment and Economic Alternatives(IDEAS), which examines how voters makechoices broadly. It explores the relativeweight voters give to party performance vs.candidates’ political and bureaucraticconnections. It highlights the need forreporting, debate and a rule-basedseparation of functions and ﬁnances tostrengthen local democracy in Pakistan. Building a strong democracy through local electionsThe strength of local democracy depends on the stability andcoherence of party structures as well as on the institutionalframework within which parties operate and elections takeplace. Party based local elections under a democratically electedgovernment were held for the first time in Punjab in late 2015.The elections saw high voter turnout, with 61 percent of eligiblevoters casting a ballot (an increase from 58 percent in the 2013national government elections).While many argue that the very strength of democraticinstitutions comes from repeated cycles of stable elections andtransfers of power, it is worth examining the direction localdemocracy in Pakistan is headed in. This can help to informwhat actions parties and other institutions can take to bringabout desirable outcomes.Strong opposition as a democratic safeguardOne of the fundamental constitutive elements of a well-functioning democracy is the existence of meaningfulcompetition among parties for elected positions. If strong2017­6­19 The role of election competition in strengthening Pakistan’s fledgling local democracy ­ IGChttp://www.theigc.org/blog/role­election­competition­strengthening­pakistans­fledgling­local­democracy/ 2/4“competition among parties for elected positions. If strongopposition parties exist and maintain links with voters, they cankeep the incumbent party in check by incentivizing them toperform better through the threat of electoral defeat insubsequent elections.REUTERS/Jerry Lampen (PAKISTAN)Short falls in the Sargodha District ensuring meaningfulelection competition:1) Opposition parties’ failure to field candidatesIn Sargodha, the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), could only field candidates for the office of unioncouncil (UC) chairperson (directly elected local governmentoffice) in 64 out of the 164 rural UCs that comprise the districtcouncil. Other opposition parties failed even more miserably:Pakistan People’s Party fielded candidates in a mere 8 unioncouncils, and PML-Q and Jamaat-e-Islami only fielded twocandidates each.2) Lacklustre performance of opposition parties at localelectionsAmong the union councils where PTI did field a candidate, itmanaged a vote share higher than 30 percent in only half ofthem, winning a total of 12 union council chairman seats. Theonly other opposition party that won any seats was the PPP,which succeeded in four out of the eight seats that it contested.In total, opposition parties only won 16 out of the 164 unioncouncil chairmen seats in Sargodha. Opposition parties held lessthan 10 percent of the seats in the district council of Sargodhaat the time of these elections.3) Independent candidates emerging to fill the vacuum of aviable oppositionIn a staggering 84 percent of union councils, at least oneindependent candidate contested. Independents won thechairman position in 68 out of 164 union councils. Putdifferently, independents won 49 percent of the seats where atleast one independent was contesting. This phenomenonrepresents a corrosion of party-based accountability, weakensthe relationship between local and national democracy, andreduces political ownership of the system among oppositionparties.independents won 49 percent of the seats where atleast one independent was contesting. This phenomenon2017­6­19 The role of election competition in strengthening Pakistan’s fledgling local democracy ­ IGChttp://www.theigc.org/blog/role­election­competition­strengthening­pakistans­fledgling­local­democracy/ 3/4““least one independent was contesting. This phenomenonrepresents a corrosion of party-based accountability,weakens the relationship between local and nationaldemocracy, and reduces political ownership of thesystem among opposition parties. ”Strengthening local democracy:1) Selecting honest, competent and motivated candidatesA key element of a well-functioning democracy is the ability ofpolitical parties to select the “right” candidates. Democratictheorists, such as James Madison, have emphasized the criticalrole parties play in vetting potential elected officials. Sargodha’slocal government election, with its weak opposition parties,presents an ideal setting for analysing the robustness ofcandidate selection of the provincial ruling party, PML-N.PML-N party officials clearly played this gate-keeping role.Field observations suggests that the majority of candidates whoran as independents were jockeying vigorously for endorsementby the ruling party prior to the allocation of tickets.Evidence suggests that the selection process of the ruling partyisn’t extremely robust. In one-third of union councils wherethere was intra-party consensus over the endorsement, votersrejected the ruling party candidate in favour of an independent.The current process of candidate selection, which is influencedby district level caucuses, may work for party bosses but it isn’tgetting selection right in the eyes of the voters. A strength oflocal elections is that it reveals this disconnect.The current process of candidate selection, which isinfluenced by district level caucuses, may work for partybosses but it isn’t getting selection right in the eyes ofthe voters. ”2) Local politicians are criticalUnion council positions are clearly valuable, but why? InPunjab, the provincial government wields considerableauthority in the assignment of functions and finances to localgovernments. Local politicians are therefore an important nodeof mediation between citizens and higher tier politicians. Localpoliticians, in other words, have tremendous scope to connectpeople to their government and ensure their needs arerepresented.3) Reporting, debate and rulesClearly, much work needs to be done at multiple levels tostrengthen the local democratic project in Pakistan. A goodstarting point would be a public report on the state of localdemocracy, performed by the Election Commission. A ratingneeds to be conducted on the strength of democracy usingdefined metrics across Pakistan’s different rural and urban localcouncils and governments. The report should point out failuresat the level of the ruling and opposition parties in order togenerate public pressure on these organisations. Modernising2017­6­19 The role of election competition in strengthening Pakistan’s fledgling local democracy ­ IGChttp://www.theigc.org/blog/role­election­competition­strengthening­pakistans­fledgling­local­democracy/ 4/4““generate public pressure on these organisations. Modernisingelection processes, such as selection, and taking actions to fieldcandidates, will help build the foundations of a strong localdemocracy.The report should point out failures at the level ofthe ruling and opposition parties in order to generatepublic pressure on these organisations. ”At the legislative level, the issue of independents needs to beseriously debated. It is misleading to call a system party-based ifthe main opposition party is only able to field candidates in afraction of constituencies. The current system is subject toaccusations of political capture by opposition parties, which islikely to weaken political ownership.There is also a need to create a rule-based separation offunctions and finances between local and provincialgovernments that are enforced through bipartisan institutions.The recent action by the Government of Punjab in announcinga rule-based fiscal transfer award for local governments (thePFC Award) is a step in the right direction.4) Local level political accountabilityFinally, it is important for the provincial government torecognize that weak political accountability at the local levelcreates real risks for poor service delivery and corruption. Theseproblems are likely to damage its reputation in the 2018General Election. Given weak party-based competition and theresulting weak performance incentives for local politicians, it iscritically important to enforce the Punjab PFC’srecommendation of instituting administrative accountabilitymechanisms such as third-party and citizen audits. This isimportant to ensure that local governments deliver to voters.Finally, it is important for the provincialgovernment to recognize that weak politicalaccountability at the local level creates real risks forpoor service delivery and corruption. ”

The role of election competition in strengthening Pakistan’s fledgling local democracy

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