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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Lefties flop in Pak local elections |
| 2005-08-27 |
| Despite the popularity of the labour opposition to the ruthlessly executed privatisation programme, left-wing parties and trade union representatives failed to make any impact and fell by the wayside in the recently concluded local government elections. In Lahore, the once-powerful left-wing of Pakistan could not field a single candidate for the slot of nazim or naib nazim, while in Punjab the representatives of Pakistan Labour Party, Pakistan Workers Party and Mazdoor Kissan Party could only win four nazim and naib nazim seats â two from Faisalabad and one each from Okara and Renala Khurd. The only feather in the cap for left-wing parties was the seat in Okara Military Farms where Anjuman Muzarieen Punjab won the nazimâs slot with the strong backing of civil society organisations, defeating the candidate supported by Defence Minister Rao Sikander Iqbal. Is this the last nail in the coffin for left-wing politics in Pakistan? âI donât agree with the notion that left-wing politics has finally breathed its last,â said leading lawyer and Pakistan Workers Party President Abid Hasan Minto. âTraditionally, leftist parties never took electoral politics too seriously and the trend shows in these elections as well. But the persecution of the left over the years under successive military rules and financial constraints have contributed in this electoral defeat,â said Minto. However, the veteran leftist did not agree that left-wing politics was buried for good. âOn the contrary, left movements are gaining strength the world over and I am sure here in Pakistan too, weâll soon see a strong revival,â said Minto. Farooq Tariq, secretary general Pakistan Labour Party and a leader of Mazdoor Kissan Party conceded that left-wing organisations have become too weak even to find candidates. âI agree that the left has lost a lot of ground over the last two and half decades in Pakistan and now is on the periphery of the political scene, but look at the constraints we are working under,â said Tariq. âThough we could not field a single candidate for nazim in Lahore, we have won more than a dozen womenâs labour council seats in the city. Also, we won in Okara which is a strong showing,â said Tariq. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 I have heard from the leftist leader in America, Howard Dean, that though his leftist party has been thrown out of power that in the next election they will win the presidency, both houses of congress, and elect an all leftist supreme court! |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2005-08-27 10:19 |