hydrabadi_arab
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On November 17, amid protests by the opposition, the government and its allies in Parliament approved amendments to the Elections Act, 2017, allowing the use of electronic voting machines and granting voting rights to overseas Pakistanis. This legislation is a landmark event for multiple reasons: it fulfils a key promise made by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) to its overseas base, which has fervently supported the party through thick and thin. It is also the culmination of a decades-long journey to enfranchise our overseas brethren. And it represents the start of what is likely a new era for Pakistan’s politics.
This development also fits in with a growing global trend. The Supreme Court of Canada recently affirmed the voting rights of overseas Canadians. In the UK, following a long and heated campaign by expats, government efforts are now underway to ease overseas voting restrictions. New legislation in Greece also permits Greeks overseas to vote from their place of residence. And a parliamentary committee in New Zealand is calling for review of eligibility requirements for overseas citizens.
Closer to home, in India, the Election Commission recently approached the government to permit overseas Indians — the largest diaspora in the world — to vote through postal ballots. In Nepal, the Supreme Court in 2018 directed the government to enfranchise citizens residing abroad. And the Election Commission of Bangladesh has begun issuing identity cards to overseas citizens which will eventually enable them to vote from overseas.
This trend is best understood in the context of globalisation, as part of an ongoing diffusion of democratic norms and culture. A study even suggests that the chances of a country introducing overseas voting are almost double if a neighbouring country has done so already.
Permitting overseas voting has faced challenges and resistance in countries around the world. Like in Pakistan, elsewhere too the question of divided loyalties comes up, specifically when talking about enfranchising individuals who have taken other nationalities or are dual nationals. An argument put forward by the opposition in Pakistan is that allowing overseas votes would amount to citizens of other countries determining the future of Pakistan.
As the arguments for and against enfranchising continue (discussed in greater detail below), overseas Pakistanis have been granted voting rights.
Now that overseas voting is officially the law of the land here in Pakistan, we come to what is arguably the most important and also, surprisingly, the least discussed aspect of this entire exercise: the impact. In the current scheme of things, overseas votes represent a huge swing factor that could prove a game changer.
Go to link to read full article.
This development also fits in with a growing global trend. The Supreme Court of Canada recently affirmed the voting rights of overseas Canadians. In the UK, following a long and heated campaign by expats, government efforts are now underway to ease overseas voting restrictions. New legislation in Greece also permits Greeks overseas to vote from their place of residence. And a parliamentary committee in New Zealand is calling for review of eligibility requirements for overseas citizens.
Closer to home, in India, the Election Commission recently approached the government to permit overseas Indians — the largest diaspora in the world — to vote through postal ballots. In Nepal, the Supreme Court in 2018 directed the government to enfranchise citizens residing abroad. And the Election Commission of Bangladesh has begun issuing identity cards to overseas citizens which will eventually enable them to vote from overseas.
This trend is best understood in the context of globalisation, as part of an ongoing diffusion of democratic norms and culture. A study even suggests that the chances of a country introducing overseas voting are almost double if a neighbouring country has done so already.
Permitting overseas voting has faced challenges and resistance in countries around the world. Like in Pakistan, elsewhere too the question of divided loyalties comes up, specifically when talking about enfranchising individuals who have taken other nationalities or are dual nationals. An argument put forward by the opposition in Pakistan is that allowing overseas votes would amount to citizens of other countries determining the future of Pakistan.
On the other hand, proponents in various countries, including Pakistan, argue that overseas citizens are a key asset and make significant economic contributions in the form of investments and remittances.
As the arguments for and against enfranchising continue (discussed in greater detail below), overseas Pakistanis have been granted voting rights.
Now that overseas voting is officially the law of the land here in Pakistan, we come to what is arguably the most important and also, surprisingly, the least discussed aspect of this entire exercise: the impact. In the current scheme of things, overseas votes represent a huge swing factor that could prove a game changer.
THE GAME-CHANGING OVERSEAS VOTE
Despite the misgivings of the opposition, overseas voting is now officially the law of the land in Pakistan. With one of the
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Go to link to read full article.
