Senate poll ballot mode: NA Speaker, Senate chairman put their weight behind govt

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani and National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser have assured the federal government of their full support in introducing open ballot system in the upcoming Senate elections as the government is discussing different options for open ballot in Senate polls including the possibility to present a related bill in Parliament or promulgating a presidential ordinance.

Both Sanjrani and Qaiser have held meetings with government officials including Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan and have assured them of complete support on open ballot in Senate polls, Business Recorder has learnt.

Corresponding to this development, Chairman Senate is reaching out to opposition senators to convince them to agree to open ballot in Senate polls while speaker NA is in contact with Members National Assembly (MNAs) for this purpose, it is further learnt.

“There has been a consensus between the treasury benches and the custodians of the two Houses of Parliament—that urgent steps need to be taken to introduce open ballot in Senate polls in order to end horse-trading and ensure free and fair polls,” said a cabinet member, requesting anonymity.

The source said the government is planning to move in NA, where it is in majority, a bill for open ballot in Senate polls. However, the government lacks majority in Senate and it would be a challenge for the treasury benches to get the related bills passed from the Upper House of the Parliament without opposition’s support or without luring some opposition members to vote in the bill’s favour against their party’s stance.

In case the government does not succeed in getting the bills passed by the Parliament, it would promulgate presidential ordinance, the source said.

From the government side, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, Leader of the House in the Senate, Dr Shahzad Waseem, Information Minister Shibli Faraz and Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati are tasked by the PM to forge consensus in Senate for legislation on open ballot, the source said.

“PM would be very annoyed if the efforts to introduce open ballot in Senate polls fail which means some people involved in these efforts will possibly have fewer chances to get PTI tickets for Senate polls,” the insider said.

Babar Awan is regarded as a potential PTI candidate for Senate polls besides Shibli Faraz who is scheduled to retire from Senate in March this year after completing his six-year-term.

Recently, chairman Senate and speaker NA strongly supported open ballot in Senate polls in their respective responses submitted to Supreme Court in presidential reference on open ballot. However, the Election Commission opposed holding Senate polls on open ballot on the grounds that there is no such provision in the Constitution.

Government sources said if the ECP had supported open ballot in Senate polls then the government would have been in much better position to introduce the same in upcoming polls.

“Constitution empowers the ECP to take whatever steps it deems necessary to hold free and fair polls. The commission can use these powers to introduce open ballot in Senate polls but it is reluctant to do so due to possible backlash from opposition parties. But government would try all possible options to introduce open ballot in Senate elections,” said a PTI senator, requesting not to be named.

The source said the government would wait for Supreme Court’s decision in presidential reference on open ballot and will take further action after the apex court’s decision.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021