ISLAMABAD:
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has proposed the enactment of a law to enhance the timeframe for conducting elections from 60 days to 120 days – in both cases whether assemblies complete terms or are dissolved prematurely.
This was one of the recommendations submitted by the ECP on Tuesday to the parliamentary committee, constituted to propose electoral reforms for the next elections. The proposed reforms require constitutional changes and amendments in various laws.
Under the existing provision of Article 224 of the Constitution, the ECP has to conduct elections within 60 days in case a seat falls vacant or assemblies complete their tenure.
ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan – who gave a briefing to the parliamentary committee – said the increased timeframe of 120 days would help the ECP conduct better scrutiny and would grant more time for each activity in the election schedule once it is notified.
Besides other recommendations, the ECP has also asked the authorities to conduct fresh delimitation of constituencies for the next elections using GIS after conducting fresh population census.
It has also asked parliament to conduct legislation to enable overseas Pakistan to exercise their right of vote from the countries of their current residence. It said a draft bill in the regard is already pending with Senate Committee on Law and Justice.
The ECP’s 316 recommendations and proposed draft for a set of legislations also include proposals for legislation to introduce of biometric system.
The ECP has said it also wants to introduce voting through Electronic Voting Machines in the next general elections scheduled in 2018.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2014.
COMMENTS (6)
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@Saad A Shah, ha ha ha....
NO COUNTRY ON EARTH HAS 100% FAIR and Verifiable VOTES in TOTAL.
Your comment shows that you don't know the process of electoral system at all.
also there was huge rigging by IK party men too,
@Sara:
Lets make it even simpler for you:
(About 100% Fair and Verifiable Votes in Total ) = Non-rigged Elections
(Not About 100% Fair and Verifiable Votes in Total) = Rigged Elections Or No Election But RO's Selection.
@Usman
Its a pity that you use word rigging but you don't understand the complications of the electoral process. The matter of fact is that IK only got 7.7 million votes and rigging cannot reduce that figure. Also its a fact that 7.7 million contains rigged votes which is a part of the unfortunate system. How can PTI claim that its superficially the most sought party when it can only secure 7.7 million votes when the total turnout was 46.2 million votes.
Rigging is there, would be there, unless the common man becomes corrupt free. By the way, don't break traffic rules next time as a first step towards abiding by the laws of state.
This is a four month old story. ECP issued its reforms proposal in April/May this year. Media just woke up late to it.
So at last the Election Commission's demerits and weaknesses have been started to be displayed before the nation and all the credit goes to Imran Khan and Tahir-ul-Qadri who hold sit-ins on D-Chowk in Islamabad other wise Election Commission's reforms were a dream which can never come true......
So the defunct ECP finally wakes up after 1 year. If IK hadn't protested, the next elections would have been rigged as well.