ASIA/PAKISTAN - "Your vote counts": the Church promotes an inclusive electoral system of religious minorities

Tuesday, 10 April 2018 politics   civil society  

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) - "Your vote is important": this is the title of the campaign launched by the National Commission "Justice and Peace" (NCJP), within the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Pakistan, to encourage Christians in Pakistan to participate actively and consciously in the next general elections, scheduled in the country on July 15, 2018. As reported to Agenzia Fides, the Commission has spread the campaign in parishes, movements, associations to emphasize the importance of election and voting and to promote the "joint electoral system".
The text of the appeal reads: "Citizens participate directly in matters of the state through their vote; it is the responsibility of every citizen to cast their vote. Your vote is your future. Make everyone feel your presence through your vote, it is for your prosperity". The Commission recalls that every individual over the age of 18 must have a national identity card and be enrolled in electoral registers: the count of registered Christian voters is very important and will have an essential role.
Fr. Saleh Diego, director of the NCJP Office in the Archdiocese of Karachi, fully supports the campaign and explains to Fides: "To this end, after the census of 2017, it will be useful for our community to have all Christians enrolled in electoral registers. In light of the census and registered Christian voters, reserved seats for minorities should increase and political parties should nominate candidates of minority religious communities proportionally, based on the population. We need a change in legislation in this regard".
The Commission is asking for a change in the way of election, promoting an inclusive electoral system instead of an electoral system that separates the vote of religious minorities or provides for a double vote for them. In fact, currently the candidate members of minorities are selected by political parties (of all political tendencies and cultures) and have a reserved quota within their electoral lists. "Political parties should abolish the 'minority groups' within them and include members of religious minorities as candidates in the general lists, especially in areas where Christian voters are a majority", says Fr. Diego.
Kashif Anthony, coordinator of NCJP Karachi, told Fides: "With a joint electoral system, the dignity of voters belonging to religious minorities could be restored. Every candidate on a list must be able to receive both the vote of the Muslim population and of people who profess the religion of minorities. The electoral system of this kind improves inter-religious relations and social harmony. The NCJP hopes that minority candidates will be on the lists next to everyone else".
The Commission's campaign aims to reach out to young people especially: today, thanks to a new software promoted by the "Pakistan Electoral Commission", young people aged 18 are automatically registered as voters. (AG) (Agenzia Fides, 10/4/2018)


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