Pakistan Heads To Elections With Little Trust In Poll Body's Transparency, Finds Survey
Nearly 6,000 participants responded to the survey, and after eliminating incomplete or invalid entries, more than 5,500 responses were considered.
As Pakistan heads to polls next month, a majority of voters will exercise their right to franchise despite having reservations about the electoral system, according to a "non-scientific survey" conducted by Dawn.com. The survey was conducted on the media website from January 2-4.
Nearly 6,000 participants responded to the survey, and after eliminating incomplete or invalid entries, more than 5,500 responses were considered. A significant portion, comprising over three-quarters, fell within the age bracket of 18-40.
The respondents were predominantly from Pakistan (84%), particularly the Punjab and Sindh provinces. The rest of the 16% comprised overseas Pakistanis with voting rights. The gender distribution showed 89.4% male, 10.24% female, and 0.36% identified as other. Interestingly, the opinions expressed were relatively consistent across genders.
The survey aimed to assess voter sentiments, explore the impact of the prevailing political and economic conditions on voting intentions, and identify the key issues concerning the electorate.
Here are the major insights gathered from the survey:
Key Findings Of Dawn Survey
Willingness To Vote Despite Skepticism:
The survey unveiled a notable readiness among respondents to participate in the upcoming elections, with 64.96% expressing their intent to vote. However, a significant 35.04% indicated their reluctance. Among the reasons for abstaining, 62.69% believed their vote would not make a difference, while 20.41% expressed disenchantment with all candidates.
Nota Option On The Ballot:
About 64% of participants favoured the inclusion of a 'None of the Above' (Nota) option on the ballot, while 35.91% disagreed. Nota is seen as a way for voters to express disapproval of all candidates.
Political Party Preferences
The survey reflected a lack of confidence in the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, with 76.34% rating its performance as 'very poor.' In contrast, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), led by Imran Khan, garnered support from 67.33% of respondents. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) secured only 16.38%, and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) received 9.5% support.
Evaluation of PTI Government's Tenure
Opinions on the PTI government's performance from 2018 to 2022 were diverse, with a significant number rating it as 'neither good nor bad.' Responses were consistent across age groups and genders, indicating mixed feelings about the government's performance.
Media Trust
Trust in the media for impartial election coverage was low, with 45.83% expressing complete distrust. About 30% slightly trusted the media, while only around 7% had confidence in unbiased coverage.
Election Commission's Credibility
The most notable finding of the survey was perhaps concerns about the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ensuring free and fair elections, as 89.11% doubted its efforts. Additionally, 79.08% were 'not at all satisfied' with the current level of election transparency.
Top Concerns
Economic growth and employment were identified as the most critical issues facing Pakistan by 46.35% of respondents, followed by corruption (21.31%), human rights (15.27%), education (7.29%), and security (3.41%).
Concerns About Election Violence
Concerns about election-related violence were high, with 44.49% being 'very concerned' and 32.16% 'somewhat concerned.' This sentiment was consistent across age, gender, and location demographics.
Confidence in Elected Officials
A significant number of respondents lacked confidence in elected officials' ability to address poverty and unemployment, with the majority expressing 'not at all' or 'slightly' optimistic views.
Trust In Party Manifestos
Respondents displayed scepticism regarding political parties' manifestos, with 50.6% believing they do not reflect the parties' true intentions.
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