Pakistan elections - I: More rejection, less election

Humeira Iqtidar, Kamal Munir

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Not since the 1970 elections have the people of Pakistan turned out in such great numbers to vote. Two differences are notable, however. First, while in 1970 they voted the Pakistan Peoples Party to power, this time they came out in droves to boot it out. And second, while 1970 was a time of great hope and optimism, this year their cynicism was palpable even as they voted. This was understandable as all the main contesting parties appeared committed irrevocably to the same market liberalism that has characterised Pakistan's governments for the last three decades. In the end, people followed the only path open to them in most democracies: vote the incumbent out, even if the alternatives promise more of the same!
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)10-12
Number of pages3
JournalEconomic and Political Weekly
Volume48
Issue number22
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2013

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Pakistan elections - I: More rejection, less election'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this