44% Pakistanis disapprove all presidential candidates: survey

As Pakistani legislatures are going to elect successor of Gen (Retd) Pervez Musharraf as president of the country, the majority of people have disapproved all three candidates, says a latest survey report.

The public opinion findings on the presidential election reflect a growing sense of alienation between the public at large, the society and the political system and political parties, a national survey has revealed.

Conducted by Gallup Pakistan (Pakistan Institute of Public Opinion), the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International, on August 31 and September 01, the sample for the survey was approximately 2,000 men and women statistically chosen from all four provinces of the country comprising a cross-section of all ages, socio-economic and linguistic groups. Respondents were interviewed face to face. The error margin is estimated to be approximately 3-5 per cent at 95 per cent confidence level.

According to the survey, when asked which of the nominees of the major political parties they would like to have as their next president, none of the three was able to get popular acclaim, with the single largest response saying they wanted a non-party president. Thirty-four per cent gave that response when asked which party nominee they wanted to see as president and even a higher number at 44 per cent gave the same response when presented with a list of candidates.

Ironically, the Constitution of Pakistan is closer to the position of the ordinary man on the street, says the report. The office of the president is that of the head of the state and is supposed to be above party politics, exercising little executive power. The chief executive authority and associated “politics” is supposed to rest with the prime minister.

A deeper analysis of survey findings shows the continuation of a pattern of attitudes among Pakistani public — unexpected but consistent support for upholding rule of law and the constitution of the country, says the survey report.

In nominating a much respected former chief justice of Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) tried to reflect that public view but the survey findings show that their nominee was still seen as politicising the office. He is seen largely with the same sentiment as the two partisan politicians nominated by the other two major parties, including Asif Ali Zardari and Mushahid Hussain Sayed.

The electoral college for the presidential election in Pakistan is limited to less than 2,000 members of the Parliament with most of them subject to their party decision which may or may not be reflective of popular sentiments.