The Middle Ground.

The situation around the election reforms proposed by the coalition government has not been resolved yet and will continue to remain controversial in the upcoming weeks. The President's refusal to sign off on the bill all but ensures this. Key among the reforms of course, was the roll back of electronic voting machines and the question of i-voting for overseas Pakistanis. However, constitutionally, the refusal to pen the bill into law does little to change the inevitable.

The President's decision to return the bill after expressing his reservations is little more than a statement of opposition at this point. The bill was first passed by the National Assembly and the Senate, after which it was sent to President Alvi for the first time. After the first refusal, the bill was then passed once more by a joint sitting of the parliament on June 9. Once that happens, the President can refuse to sign, but after ten days his assent is seen to be given regardless of the decision. This clause is in place in the constitution to allow for supremacy of parliament over the role of the President.

But even once they are passed into law, the reforms will continue to remain controversial, as PTI, a key stakeholder in the next elections, has strongly advocated for both EVMs and overseas voting. Over the next few weeks, we can anticipate a tussle over this, and the PTI leadership will make this a key component of their street campaign alongside inflation and the foreign conspiracy narrative.

The...