Pakistani Voters’ Perceptions: A Controversial Survey Report

66pc want exiled leaders back
By Amjad Mahmood
Dawn, September 4, 2006

LAHORE, Sept 3: Two-thirds of Pakistanis want to see the exiled leadership back in the country while 50 per cent desire that General Pervez Musharraf should keep only one office, reveals findings of an opinion poll.

The survey was conducted in Pakistan by the International Republican Institute (IRI), a research organisation of the US Republican Party, in collaboration with the Socio-Economic Development Consultants in the months of May and June this year.

The survey says the people not only want the exiled leaders back but also their participation in the next general election.

Dawn has received a copy of the survey report, Pakistani Voters’ Perceptions of the Political Landscape, being circulated among politicians and high-ranking officials reportedly with the help of the US embassy.

According to the survey, 77 per cent people think the country needs a very strong and popular leader while 48 per cent say that President General Pervez Musharraf should not hold two offices simultaneously.

But, interestingly, nearly two-thirds of the respondents approve of the way Gen. Musharraf is handling his job.

Benazir Bhutto has topped in the rating (18 per cent) for potential candidates for prime minister. She is followed by Shaukat Aziz (15 per cent) and Nawaz Sharif (13 per cent).

Sixty per cent of the people want a parliamentary system instead of presidential system. Still, half of the respondents consider role of the army in civilian government as necessary.

In the political party ratings at national level, the ruling PML has stood first (23 per cent) followed by the PPP (22 per cent), the PML-N (16 per cent), the MQM (12 per cent) and the MMA (7 per cent).

However, the PML and the PML-N lead the favorability ratings in Punjab (32 per cent and 21 per cent respectively), the PPP in Sindh (44 per cent), and the MMA in NWFP (17 per cent) and Balochistan (30 per cent).

There is a divide among people’s perceptions of the incumbent setup’s performance. Thirty-seven per cent say the current coalition has done its job well and deserves re-election, while another 35 per cent oppose the government’s re-election.

At individual level, the president and the prime minister received good ratings on their performance, especially from Sindh province, but another finding contradicts this result as the government’s performance on most issues has been rated as poor, with crime, terrorism, employment and provincial autonomy receiving the worst scores.

A majority of respondents does not believe in the ability of Gen. Musharraf’s regime to hold transparent elections and they think a caretaker setup will be more capable for the task.

Half of the respondents believe the 2002 elections were transparent whereas the other half believes the polls were rigged.

It is generally believed that religious parties, particularly Jamaat-i-Islami, are more organised and thus have more contacts with their voters. But the survey reveals the other side of the story. Seventy-four per cent say ruling PML candidates more frequently visited voters in 2002 elections followed by PPP (74 per cent), PML-N (65 per cent) and the MMA (31 per cent).

However, 70 per cent of the respondents say they have never been approached by any political party on any issue of national importance.

Twenty-eight per cent of the respondents say the ruling PML is the most suitable party for efficiently handling national issues, 22 per cent recommended the PPP, followed by the PML-N which got 16 per cent rating.

Americans and American government, Al Qaeda and feudal lords are the most disliked foreign and local groups among the people while the ulema and civilian governments are most liked, the survey reveals.

It says politicians talk too much about their personal interests and less on inflation and unemployment, the two menaces facing the masses.

The findings show 50 per cent people lack interest in politics, mostly in Punjab followed by Sindh; while in Balochistan respondents displayed a higher level of interest.

IRI officials say the results have been compiled in accordance with the international standards for market and social research methodologies.

A total of 3,046 adult Pakistanis, both men and women, from nearly 200 villages and 150 urban locations from all four provinces were randomly selected and interviewed.