The discoveries propose parties need clear outline for activity on the off chance that they expect power
Tuesday, November 07, 2023
Out of 18 issues, PPP has zero in 17, PTI in 13, PML-N in 12.
12% addressed in PML-N manifesto, 7% in PPP, 1.5% in PTI.
Manifestos evaluated on the basis of actual reform interventions.
ISLAMABAD: A recent assessment by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) revealed that less than 20% of the country's critical issues were addressed in the manifestos of the three major political parties, The News reported on Tuesday.
PIDE compared the manifestos of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) – the three main parties that have historically been at the forefront of forming governments in recent years. three electoral terms.
The aim is to find out whether the manifestos contain substantive and well-thought-out plans, or whether they are filled only with empty promises and broad declarations with no basis for the future.
PIDE, which is a branch of the Planning Commission, has been promoting reforms in various dimensions for a long time. These reform proposals are the result of extensive research and evidence-based strategies that are aligned with global best practices.
The institute has identified 18 critical issues/sectors considered critical, including local government, parliament, elections, cabinet, police, bureaucracy, budgeting, debt management, PSDP, real estate, agriculture, energy, tax, customs, trade, civil service. owned enterprises (SOEs) and the Internet. Each area was evaluated with a maximum of 100 points.
PPP scores zero in 17 indicators, PTI in 13 and PML-N in 12. Overall, the analysis shows that the three main political parties have addressed less than 20% of Pakistan's key economic and political issues in their agendas.
A further examination of that 20% shows that of the country's key issues, only 12% were addressed in the PML-N manifesto, 7% in the PPP manifesto and just 1.5% in the PTI.
"Lack of substantive content"
The findings point to a lack of substantive content in the manifestos on critical issues facing the nation. They suggest that political parties lack a clear plan of action if they take power.
The absence of substantive content in program statements results in a short-sighted approach to governance, characterized by ad-hocism and serving vested interests, neglecting the imperative of long-term national development.
For example, the promise to strengthen local government is marked as zero. However, as a specific point, the proposal of the property tax regime as a primary revenue generator for local government is recognized, which received a score of 25.
PIDE arrives at these scores by summarizing its proposals into four points for each topic, assigning equal weight (25%) to each point, summing up to 100% for all four points. The institute then compares these points with what each political party proposed on the same topic. If the manifestos contain one of the points proposed by PIDE, the score will be 25/100. If all suggested points match, the manifest will receive full points (100/100).
It is important to note that the manifestos were evaluated on the basis of actual reform interventions rather than mere promises, slogans or sweeping statements.
Disparity between pre-election promises, post-election online discourse
Additionally, in further research, PIDE examines whether there is a link between what was mentioned in the manifestos and the digital narratives of party leaders. The stark disparity between pre-election promises and post-election online discourse, as revealed by PIDE, points to a significant discrepancy.
The analysis highlights the critical neglect of core issues such as economic disparity, infrastructure, unemployment, education, health, governance, corruption, security, environment and human rights – on digital platforms by party leaders that are vital to the country's progress.
X, formerly Twitter, identified as a powerful influencer in shaping political conversations, remains vastly underutilized in addressing Pakistan's socio-economic challenges. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to analyze the mentioned party leaders' tweets from 2018 to 2022, PIDE finds no match between the vision outlined in the manifestos and the discourse.
A comprehensive analysis reveals a disturbing trend in the online discourse of opposition leaders: The leadership of the PPP and PML-N is focusing primarily on family legacies and political conflicts.
Discussions by PTI leaders primarily focus on India's illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, overshadowing other critical national concerns. This highlights the lack of focus and commitment on the part of the country's top political leadership.
PIDE's plea to align political discourse with manifesto commitments underscores the urgency for leaders to prioritize substantive political issues for Pakistan's development and prosperity. Manifestos should not remain mere paper promises; they should guide the nation's trajectory, offer a clear plan for governing parties, and present viable political alternatives for the opposition.
The institute emphasizes the need to shift discussions away from personal grievances, family legacies and political gibberish towards tangible political issues. He urges leaders to refocus discussions and use social media tools for more targeted, relevant and policy-oriented communication to address the ongoing challenges facing Pakistan.
