can anyone define ‘electable politicians’?
Re: electables?
Those who win regardless of political party, personal beliefs or personal accountability. They actually win based on archaic and anti-democratic ideals such as family relations, feudalism and abuse of power and authority. Our FM is a perfect example of an electable. She does not win on merit but based on her family.
Re: electables?
can anyone define 'electable politicians'?
Yahi tou sab say bara masla hay bhai, electable politicians. They are rulers of Pakistan. Unless Pakistan does not get rid of electable politician Pakistan would not progress or prosper. To understand electable politician, please read carefully.
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Electable politician and their importance for parties:**
Electable politicians are those who do not necessarily need party support or outside human and financial resources to get elected. They have everything and if they want, they can contest election as independent candidate and may win the election too. For instance ... a candidate that has all (not one but all) what is mentioned below is electable:
1: They have enough money (15 to 25 crores) to waste in election that they expect to get back multiple times over once elected ... so corruption is their need.
2: They have manpower (armed goons) to terrorise their opponents in their constituency (obviously if opponents are commoner) and intimidate voters to get their vote. [They pay their goons with good jobs and corruption opportunity if they get elected ... so nepotism is their need.
3: They have influence over local administration, police and judiciary such that none in their ‘area of influence’ can work against them or work independently from them. They use such influence to punish their opponents and reward their supporters, what they do regardless of they win or lose election ... so breaking or undermining law is their need.
4: They have certain number of guaranteed votes due to:
People depend on them as they control means of earning/livelihood in their ‘area of influence’ ... that is, due to their influence on government functionaries, local businesses, or they themselves have large track of lands and businesses. There guaranteed votes could also be due to them having religious influences over their area or due to tribal (Bradari) loyalty. ...So whatever party they join, they do what they like.
How things work:
There are many Pakistani constituencies where there is only one electable (or electable are of same family). Such electable can win election regardless of which party that electable contest election or contest election independently.
Anyhow, there are constituencies where there could be 2 to 3 electable. In such constituencies, each electable (apart of holding all mentioned above) may hold around 30,000 to 50,000 votes. Normally these votes may not be enough to win election. So, they need party votes to win against other electable contesting candidate (unless one electable is so powerful in gunda-gardi that he manages to intimidate other electable into leaving the field). Occasionally, one electable buys out other electable along with his vote.
Most parties also hold votes in different constituencies that could be 5000 to 20000 votes.
Winning candidate is the one whose personal votes plus party votes is highest.
[Note: Many electable, especially from PPP and PMLN, also hold ‘Jali votes’ in their arsenal that they use when needed.
These two parties (PPP and PMLN) held federal government in past. Federal government issues ID card. Members of these two parties during their government got fake ID cards issued to them, that they use for ‘Jali votes’ when needed].
Re: electables?
Saleem bhai... so it seems that the criticism of PTI for not having enough electables is a good thing for the party?
Re: electables?
Saleem and CM, I liked your replies. Especially Saleem's detailed reply.
Kakaballi, it certainly is a good thing if there are not many of those "electable" in the party. I think it would mean a change from traditional politics of the country.
And this is why Imran should not welcome everyone in his party. Because many of these electable are seeing the tide changing and jumping the boats. People like Shah Mahmood Qureishi.
If this trend continues then PTI will become just another political party like PMLN or PPP.
Re: electables?
Saleem bhai... so it seems that the criticism of PTI for not having enough electables is a good thing for the party?
I won’t say good or bad, but without them party was not going anywhere. Well, it seems Imran tried his best over many years to have impact on Pakistani politics without electable joining party, but he failed miserably.
Establishment (top bureaucrats and military leadership) being supporter of stability and continuity likes electable politicians to rule the country. For them it does not matter as they are part of the system and many amongst them have links with electable politicians, as they (establishment) also play with laws, do corruption and nepotism along with politicians in power. Actually, politicians in power play with laws, do corruption, nepotism and mismanagement with help of establishment.
Anyhow, due to media, faces in power developed very bad reputation that could bring ‘Khuni’ revolution in the country, something establishment want to avert. Hence they have started looking for new face for continuity of the system. Initially, establishment was thinking of PMLQ under Musharraf, but it seems established politicians (in PPP and PMLN) succeeded in stopping this third force.
Now, it seems to get change, establishment is going for Imran khan. Establishment knows that Imran would go nowhere without electable joining his party. So, establishment started using media to criticise Imran making Imran realise that he is going nowhere and need electable politicians in party to go anywhere in Pakistani politics.
Electable politicians have influence in their own area, but join political parties that have chance in getting into power (in provinces but especially in Islamabad) so that they can spread their influence nationally. They also know that their best allies are people in establishment, with whose help they do all their corruption, nepotism and mismanagement.
Once Imran started playing on the tune of establishment, they (establishment) started giving signals to electable politicians that favourite candidate for establishment is Imran, who (electable politicians) receiving signals have started joining PTI.