MQM WOULD NEITHER PARTICIPATE IN THE COMING LOCAL BODIES ELECTIONS NOR IT WOULD SUPPORT ANY CANDIDATE OR GROUP - MQM COORDINATION COMMITTEE

London - 16 May 2001

An extraordinary and historical meeting of Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Coordination Committee was held yesterday. Members of the MQM Coordination Committee present in London and Pakistan, including MQM Deputy Convenor Senator Nasreen Jalil (Mrs), attended the meeting over the telephone. The meeting was presided by MQM Convenor Dr Imran Farooq. The issue of Local Bodies Elections was discussed in detail in this session and important decisions were made. It was noted in the session that though the MQM has been presenting its point of view regarding the Local Bodies Elections to the public through the press, however, some elements are trying to create misunderstandings amongst the public. The session, therefore, decided that a detailed policy statement of the MQM Coordination Committee must be issued to inform the public and the party workers of the background and the reasons behind the decision of the MQM Coordination Committee and to prevent the anti-people elements from creating misunderstanding amongst the public. Following policy statement has been issued after the session of the MQM Coordination Committee:

The MQM Coordination Committee has unanimously decided that the Muttahida Quami Movement would not participate in the coming Local Bodies Elections nor it would support any candidate or group. The Coordination Committee has also appealed to the public and workers to once again display their unity by keeping completely detached from the unconstitutional and illegal Local Bodies Elections being conducted under the supervision of the present unconstitutional government. The reasons for not participating in the forthcoming Local Bodies Elections are:

(1) The MQM believes that the present Military Government is illegal and unconstitutional. This illegal and unconstitutional Military Government blatantly violated the Constitution of Pakistan and unconstitutionally and illegally took over control of the country. The present unconstitutional and illegal Military Government, therefore, has no right to impose its self-made Local Bodies System over the public and to hold Local Bodies Elections under that system.

While the MQM believes that the present Military Government is unconstitutional and illegal then how could it agree to the Local Bodies System, which is being imposed upon the public by the Government and take part in such Elections?

MQM believes that if the present Military Government would have been sincere in restoring true democracy in the country then instead of providing legal cover for its illegitimate rule through fake Local Bodies Elections, it would have paved the way for the election of a Constituent Assembly on the basis of equality of nations, to formulate a new constitution according to the spirit of the 1940 Pakistan Resolution.

(2) MQM is a democratic party and formulates its policies according to the democratic norms. Whereas, the unconstitutional Military Government has re-demarcated the electoral boundaries and established several Towns in Karachi for the Local Bodies Elections in a dictatorial manner with an aim to break the MQM's vote bank. MQM does not accept this. Furthermore, MQM considers this act a heinous conspiracy against the Urdu and Sindhi speaking people and a blatant interference by the Federal Government in provincial matters. The demarcation of the electoral boundaries should only be carried out according to the democratic norms and with the consensus of the people of the province and their elected representative political parties. The MQM considers the new delimitation of the electoral boundaries to be prejudiced, unjust and a conspiracy against Sindh and other smaller provinces.

(3) Karachi is the capital of Sindh Province. As part of the conspiracy to occupy Karachi, under the guise of Delimitation and City Government Plan, Karachi is being divided into 18 different towns. This heinous act is against the Sindh Province and its permanent citizens, who live and die in this province, spend whatever they earn in this province, are born and buried here.

One of the major reason for this non-party and undemocratic Local Bodies Elections is to eliminate the popular and prominent political parties, who have their roots in the masses, through conspiracies and unconstitutional actions. Furthermore, by placing their touts in position of power the Government wants to perpetuate the Military Rule. For the urban areas of Sindh, particularly Karachi, a separate Local Bodies system has been designed to divide the city into 18 parts. This system would encourage friction instead of promoting national harmony. None of the democratic parties, therefore, would support this devious system.

(4) It is the fundamental right of the people of smaller provinces and their elected representatives to formulate a system for the Local Bodies and conduct the Elections accordingly. The Federal Government must not meddle in provincial matters and have no right to unilaterally impose their system upon the provinces. MQM considers this Federal action a blatant violation of provincial autonomy. It is in fact devolution in reverse, as the Federal Government is taking over the little bit of authorities leftover with the smaller provinces.

(5) MQM believes that the purpose of the forthcoming Local Bodies Elections is certainly not to provide representation to the people or to delegate the authority and allow them to run their affairs. Instead, the sole purpose of these Elections is to legitimise the present unconstitutional and illegal Military Government. In other words, provide legal protection to the unconstitutional and illegal Military Government in the eyes of the world. It is for this reason that the Government rejected all the recommendations forwarded by the people and their representative parties and goes on to design such a Local Bodies System that would serve its ill-conceived designs. The entire State machinery and intelligence agencies are utilising all their resources, employing every means and tactics to get their favourite candidates elected and achieve the desired results. The Government is holding the Local Bodies Elections in phases, to utilise all the State machinery for achieving the desired results. For this purpose, the Government has gerrymandered the electoral boundaries. The purpose of the Government to hold the Local Bodies Elections is to get their touts "elected" for the ratification of their illegal and unconstitutional rule and to misguide the world that the present unconstitutional and illegal Military Government enjoys the legal and democratic support of the public. Under such circumstances, the MQM believes that its participation in such sham Local Bodies Elections would not benefit the public instead; it would benefit the Military Government.

The MQM Coordination Committee in its policy statement has drawn the attention of the people of Pakistan, the democratic circles and particularly the people of Sindh province towards the role of those political and religious parties, who visibly seem to be advocating for democracy, are against the Military Government and portray themselves as the champions of democracy, but clandestinely, the so-called democratic parties are openly participating in the Local Bodies Elections organised by the unconstitutional and illegal Military Government. They are, therefore, legitimising the Military dictatorship. The democratic circles and the people of Pakistan should decide whether these parties are sincere to democracy? Are they against the Military dictatorship or not?

Finally, the MQM Coordination Committee stated that the decision of not taking part in the Local Bodies Elections does not imply that the MQM is quitting the democratic process. MQM is a peaceful and democratic party, which firmly believes in democracy and the democratic process. MQM will continue its struggle for the sustenance of democracy, the establishment of just system in the country according to the spirit of the 1940 Resolution and for the achievement of full provincial autonomy.

The present Local Bodies Elections are totally undemocratic. They are being held to provide protection to the Military dictatorship and to snatch away whatever provincial autonomy has been left with the smaller provinces. Therefore, the MQM would not cooperate with the Federal Government in stealing the provincial autonomy of the smaller provinces. MQM would also like to point out that because of the continuous and courageous struggle of the MQM and its Founder and Leader Mr Altaf Hussain, the vote bank of the MQM has increased manifold throughout the country and particularly in the Sindh province. If free, fair and unbiased elections are held today under the United Nations supervision then the MQM would practically prove this claim.

The MQM Coordination Committee once again appealed to the people, workers and particularly the righteous people of Sindh to show their unity by keeping themselves away from the present Local Bodies Elections and thus prove to the world that today, as in the past, we stand united.