To:
The Chief Election Commissioner
Kothi No.1 - AJK Assembly Secretariat Grounds
Muzaffarabad - AJK
Fax No: 05822 921695
Given the need for merit, transparency and inclusion in
matters of public policy in AJK, as intimated by the president of the winning
party in the recent polls, namely Raja Farooq Haider: I wish to request your
intervention in suspending the process of ‘electing’ of the 8 reserved seats in
the Legislative Assembly, on account of these 3 aforementioned values not being
apparent in the process so far.
It has been confirmed
to me by key newly elected members of the Assembly, as well as key figures in
civil society that, the role of technocrat in AJK's Legislative Assembly as
well as the other 7 seats have already been decided - as part of political (and
financial) compulsions of the winning party. This ridicules the process of
taking applications from the public at large and charging each application
10,000 rupees for doing so. It also presents an impression that the ‘winner
takes all’, thereby narrowing the concept of public interest and subjecting it
to the whims of the winning party.
Having spent 11 years and over 3 months in researching all
matters of public significance in AJK - without interruption or diversion as
I’ve neither been an employee or an employer during this period - furthermore,
that all public interest research that I conduct is almost wholly paid by the
public at large, puts me in a historically unprecedented position of initiating
a public debate on constitutional reform. The fact that Act 74 and Article 370
of the Indian Constitution are in essence temporary and remain so after 69
years, is clear indication that the initiative to resolve constitutional
ambiguity rests with the citizens of the territory in question viz. The State
of Jammu & Kashmir. The specific area which has always described itself as
‘base camp’, ultimately needs to give attention to this matter.
This cannot be done by following the deep-rooted tradition
of hidden deals (highest bidder) and selection of undeserving citizens to
public office without giving a clear, transparent and meritocratic opportunity
to skilled citizens of the territory to participate in governance and
legislation, thereby proving that we have an inclusive process.
How do we expect the world to give attention to our plight
and perhaps more specifically, our co-citizens across the LOC in the Valley of
Kashmir, who given the current status of geo-politics are waiting for us to
clarify our constitutional status?
In societies where public interest and public policy merge
is where beautiful events occur and drive society forward. If we don’t strive
for such an ideal, we are wasting all our precious time, energy and resources
in deepening the paralysis that our society suffers from.
On a personal level, I could (and will) make constitutional
reform a public debate in due course, irrespective of whether or not I obtain
the technocrat’s seat in AJK’s legislative assembly. However, if this
initiative is taken from within the assembly rather than without, it will be a
less hazardous process and the credit will go to the legislators at large.
Conversely, if the debate takes place on the streets, it will further expose
the frailties of the Assembly.
Meanwhile, as part of the application procedure for the
technocrat’s seat, I had sought nomination from Raja Farooq Haider, who happens
to be the one member whom I've spent most time with and - who in turn - is most
familiar (amongst members), with my public interest research work. However, Mr.
Haider's energy and time is being consumed in deflecting efforts to convince
him to abdicate from the prospective prime minister's role. I have visited him
on the 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th of
this month. I cannot put my application for the role of technocrat in front of
him when he is in this frame of mind.
My humble but publicly concerted suggestion is to suspend
the process of election for the 8 reserved seats, until a clear, transparent
procedure where any and every citizen who feels that they meet the criteria,
can participate in the nomination process.
Yours in earnest
Tanveer Ahmed
An independent researcher on public policy in AJK
Signed
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