VOTING BEHAVIOUR IN PAKISTAN: (A Case Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2008 General Elections)

Abstract

The core objective of this study is to provide a detailed analysis of the voting behaviour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with reference to 2008 general elections along with its comparison with 2002 and 2013 general elections. It focuses on the application of theory of party identification, issue voting, clientelism, religious voting and ethnic voting in the electoral politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Regarding the application of these theories, the study argues that party identification theory is applicable to limited extent (35.36%); issue voting (80.87%) and clientelism (73.01%) are applicable to a great extent; and religious voting (54.07%) and ethnic voting (52.2%) are applicable to some extent in the electoral politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The scope of the study is confined to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Data collection is based on both secondary and primary sources. The secondary data in the form of books and journals, cover the theoretical frameworks including party identification, issue voting, clientelism, religious voting and ethnic voting. The primary data in the form of questionnaire is the original contribution of this study which explores the extent of the application of the aforementioned theories of voting behaviour in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The research is based on the quantitative, analytical and comparative approaches. This research work is the answer to the main research question i.e. to determine the extent of application of theory of party identification, issue voting, clientelism, religious voting and ethnic voting? The study is based on a number of hypotheses. It has been hypothesized that issue voting and clientelism are relatively more important determinants while party identification, religious and ethnic voting are relatively less important determinants of voting behaviour in the electoral politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The quantitative data answers the research questions as well as tests the hypotheses related to the electoral politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The general elections of 2002, 2008 and 2013 have a unique significance in the electoral history of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, because all these elections introduced a major electoral change. For example in 2002 elections, religious parties stood victorious with a heavy xxiimandate. But, in 2008, a Pakhtun ethnic party succeeded in winning majority of the seats, thereby wiping out religious political parties from the political scene. Similarly, in 2013 elections a new political party emerged on the political arena of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All these electoral changes are of great importance and need to be analysed.