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The International Republican Institute (IRI) has been engaging political parties from the government and the opposition since 2005 on programs that stress internal democracy, better internal and external communications and issue-based policy development. With parliamentary elections expected no later than 2008, IRI is now working with Pakistan’s parties to strengthen their ability to run issue-based campaigns, strengthen their party structures in advance of elections and improve the capacity and relevance of local party branches.
IRI’s past polling found the relationship between the public and political parties tenuous. Voters view political parties as being primarily personality driven and disconnected from the electorate. Furthermore, the parties lack the internal democracy and intra-party communication that is necessary for growth and development from one election cycle to the next. It is in this atmosphere that political parties in Pakistan have come to be viewed with great cynicism by the general public and to some extent, by their members.
Using public opinion research, IRI works with political parties to develop internal policy analysis departments within each organization. Through the use of focus groups and survey research data, IRI provides parties with the tools to develop policy proposals based on sound data regarding public priorities. IRI has conducted intra-party focus group discussions with political parties, discussing issues ranging from party organizational structures and decision-making procedures to financial management and fundraising practices. Political parties are beginning to utilize policy research and analysis to help shift the focus of political discourse from personalities to issues.
Campaign Schools
As the country prepares for upcoming elections, IRI will hold campaign schools throughout the country to work with parties and candidates vying for political office on communications and message development, voter identification and outreach, get-out-the-vote (GOTV) techniques and the use of public opinion polling.
The campaign schools will aid party leadership and their candidates in designing an integrated national campaign plan, fundraising and creating and strengthening campaign communications systems between the local and national party branches. The workshops will focus on message development and linking the campaigns to issues of local concern to voters.
Workshops will cover the need for political parties to develop voter education programs, such as candidate forums or radio and television call-in shows, aimed at stimulating discussion of substantive issues and encouraging participation in the elections. Participants will learn effective grassroots GOTV techniques including techniques for direct voter contact.
The schools will also show parties and their candidates the benefits of public opinion polling during an election campaign. Participants will learn how to use polls to gauge the mood of potential voters and develop messages based on polling data.
Public Opinion Research
IRI has conducted five national public opinion surveys. The surveys have generated data on public opinion, gauging the strengths and weaknesses of each party and the concerns of the electorate. To gauge voter concerns throughout the country, each of the parties contributed a limited number of questions to the surveys. The parties were encouraged to ask questions that would allow them to understand how to appeal to voters more effectively. Following each poll, IRI provided technical training on the conduct of public opinion polling and how to collect, analyze and apply the information gained from the polls towards party development.
Findings of IRI’s public opinion polls have revealed a slow increase in the dissatisfaction of Pakistani voters with President Musharraf and the current government. That trend has accelerated significantly according IRI’s June 13-July 3, 2007 poll with a majority of Pakistani voters believing the country is moving in the wrong direction. The government’s performance dealing with crime, terrorism, employment and law and order continue to receive the worst scores. However, at the individual level, the President and Prime Minister received positive approval ratings on their performance with nearly two-thirds of the respondents approving of the way President Pervez Musharraf is handling his job and a slightly smaller number approving of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s performance.
Post Election Activities
After the election cycle, IRI will hold meetings with multi-party leadership and candidates on applying lessons learned from the election campaigns. A series of dialogues will be held between the Election Commission of Pakistan and major political parties on the national and provincial levels to work towards strengthening the electoral code of conduct.
Building on IRI’s policy development trainings from 2005-2006, IRI will also hold post-election sessions with political leaders on legislative implementation to help them seek rapid delivery on campaign promises. A primary cause of voter distrust of political parties in Pakistan is the failure of political leaders to address citizen concerns and deliver on promises made during election periods. Post-election follow-up is vital to helping political leaders build credibility with voters and prevent disillusionment with the democratic political process.
As part of this work, IRI will use expert trainers and advisors to help strengthen parties’ ability to identify legislative priorities, draft legislation and build coalitions to achieve legislative agendas. Experts will help Pakistani parties develop solutions to the range of issues facing the country, including job creation, housing and education.
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Civilian politics in Pakistan in the last few decades has been marked by corruption, inefficiency and confrontations between various institutions. The most recent military coup in 1999 brought General Pervez Musharraf into power. The Musharraf government has overseen local government elections in 2001 and 2005, and national and provincial assembly elections on October 10, 2002.
