ISLAMABAD: A day after media picked up on its “Post Election Review Report 2013”, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disowned it, claiming that it was a mere summary of recommendations from various stakeholders.
Without naming any organisation, ECP in an official handout, criticised different ‘quarters’ for what it called creating a furor on daily basis to mislead and confuse the nation.
“The ECP clarifies that the Post Election Review Report 2013 being commented upon is not the Election Commission’s Report on General Election 2013, but it is a summary of the recommendations received from various stakeholders including international observers, domestic observers and feedback provided by District Returning Officers, Returning Officers, Presiding Officers, polling officials, security officials, general public including male, female, youth, persons with disabilities and minorities.
"The purpose behind preparation of this report is to identify areas requiring further improvement based on lessons learnt during 2013 General Elections," the ECP said in its clarification note.
"This report then led to launching of the Election Commission’s second Strategic Plan 2014-2018 containing 13 Goals and 162 Objectives to be achieved during next five years as well as development of a Draft Unified Law 2014 also containing necessary amendments to be carried out by the Parliament in various laws,” the official ECP handout read.
However, the draft report available on its official website, along with title clearly mentioned ECP logo on its first page.
Compiled by a committee headed by Additional Director General ECP as chairman Syed Sher Afgan, the panel comprised a total of 16 members. Among the committee were eight ECP officials, three UNDP representatives and five IFES officials whose names and portfolios have been clearly mentioned in the report.
The contents of the draft report contradict the ECP’s new claim. It contains committee’s findings, comments and recommendations. This comprehensive report contains a total of ten chapters and two separate annexures. Most of the chapters are apparently based on committee’s own findings and recommendations with no citation given anywhere.
The reports of the election observers and parliamentary panel were clearly mentioned in separate chapters.
Completed on December 9, 2013- as per the title page, the commission did not make the report public till it was shared on its website recently.
“It is important to point out that this Post Election Review Report, Strategic Plan 2014-2018 and the Draft Unified Law were presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms on September 19, 2014 and thereafter the Election Commission deemed it appropriate to share it with the stakeholders and the nation to let them know how much effort has gone into this so that if any other quarter showing interest in electoral reforms should be aware of the same so that then they could forward any additional electoral reform proposals to the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for consideration."
However, the ECP complained that "out of context version based on few excerpts of the report" had been published and telecast. "This has further added to the thick fog of confusion already created by some vested interests to give air to unfounded and baseless doubts about fairness and credibility of the General Elections 2013 which have been hailed by the whole world and have raised the image of Pakistan internationally.”
The handout further reads that the Report on General Elections 2013 is yet to be published; it will contain two volumes, one has been printed, and the other is being finalised where-after it will be released shortly.
It also mentions that the Commission feels it necessary to point out that it is preparing a fact-sheet on various issues being raised about role of Returning Officers, printing of ballot papers, use of magnetised ink etc. which will be deliberated upon by the Election Commission during the ongoing week for necessary decisions to dispel once again the unfounded allegations about the General Election 2013.
The fact-sheet will be presented to the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms on September 29, 2014 it added.
COMMENTS (26)
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I wish that some power hungry and in-a-hurry characters stop seeing everything with tinted glasses to achieve their motives. The fact remains that an election held for the first time under a caretaker government is itself a major achievement as endorsed by UN and FAFEN. Now the power hungry variety wants to tell the world that please don’t believe them and that Pakistan is actually a banana republic similar to an African country in seventies. This is pitiful and pathetic.
my dear you are in pakistan and if you demand resignation from any one only on allegations then a single peon can't contenue there job for more then 7 days because our nation dont spare there own brothers @saad saeed:
@saad saeed:
I agree with you, but unfortunately in this country, we do not have the morality to resign in the face of such allegations, especially when the report has highlighted it by itself, whether through collective observation or not, ECP officials should have resigned. But again, it has become part of our culture not to resign, nor do have such word as " resign " in our dictionary ". Unless, we cultivate moral values within us, we will never be able to accept responsibility. The developed countries where democracy has flourished, is because their leaders accept responsibility & if it fails at the slightest accusations ( not yet proved stage ) they resign pending investigation to clear their name. Here, in Pakistan, it is the opposite, hence the mess we are in. The best part, literate people supports such elements, emboldens them from accepting responsibility & not resigning.
Rigging or no rigging, current ECP has to resign. They should have resigned when the first allegations of incompetency or of being accomplice in rigging surfaced.
Current Government is an illegitimate government.
Imran heaped aspersions on Election Commission for being corrupt, incompetent and for arranging rigging in elections. However, a report from the same commission becomes credible and forms the basis of his arguments. Isn't IK full of ironies?
can you have democracy without free and fair election? according to parliament Pakistan can, so no one please derail this democracy. can't blame these parliament because they don't have any clue what it means to live in democratic society. do away with election and two parties take turns and call it kingdom. wisdom begins when you start calling things by its true name- old Chinese proverb.
This is even better than WWE! Height of faking the reality. Must go in the Guinness Book. Another record for Pakistan.
If the members of ECP have any slightest self respect left than they should resign immediately and offer unconditional appologies to public of Pakistan on their failure to conduct free,fair and transparent elections in Pakistan.All democratic countries are laughing at us and at the ECP. The Supreme Court of Pakistan should take a notice and investigate election rigging by forming a high level Judicial Commission with full powers. A new election under a more powerful ,neutral,independent and credible EC is the only way this country can move forward.
LOL. How much effort will these clingy PMLNers put in to save their fake govt? They're going to go by hook or by crook.
Oh great, time for Kamran Shafi to write another hate filled fable in defence of the government.
A bunch of jokers
Enough is enough, bas ker do pls.
@Farrukh: Read Saleem's comment and try to understand what he is saying and in what context.
We can have election and change of govt from one democratic govt to another, but if the system is not improving, progressing, economic indicators are turning green, this type of democracy is not good for people and the country itself... I hope you understand with open mind than just to see such democracy where the entire country is going backwards.
Our tax money are being wasted in rigging and selecting corrupt politicians who then loot money and resources of Pakistan for their benefits. Disgusting. All of them should be punished publically.
Whats going on in this country? Are we living in Rwana
I believe in this case all the responsibility should be on Supreme Court. Honorable justices can take suo motu on stuffs of their personal inconvenience such as Shalwar on SC fence, blocked road thus inconvenience in commute, someone identifying courts wrong doing etc., but why can not they step in on their own to review this report, all verdicts of election tribunals, statements of ECP officials etc. to decide if constitution of Pakistan was violated by ECP or any other individual. Thus if current parliament is truly elected? It appears government officials are only interested in their personal gain and do not care how much Pakistan as a country and nation is suffering because of this rightful demand of PTI/PAT. Some sane person should take into account how much Pakistani people, especially citizen participating in dharna and people of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, are suffering because of government measures (containers and police brutalities) and how much Pakistani economy is losing because of government inaction.
@Farrukh: I am sorry but if ECP (which by the way the neutral authority under constitution, atleast theoritically) says that the elections were questionable, then continuing with such elected representatives is exactly what a banana republic would do. Civilized democratic societies would call for an audit of entire elections and would call for re-elections if audit confirms rigging. Now that would be democracy and will earn tremendous respect.
So the question is, if the elections were rigged all parties agree to it, what are we saving when we say "save democracy"?
Classic PML-N stance....say something then deny it.....muddy the water and confuse the issue.
2013 elections were fraud
ECP cannot be trusted as it is staffed by idiots who would not find employment in any other organization. All need to be brought to trial and justice delivered to the people. They cannot be allowed to steal elections and get away as they have been doing in the past.
Anything on ECP website is "owned" by them. There are no ifs and buts about it. If the site was hijacked then that is a different story. ECP needs to be careful about what its puts up there as there is no second guessing afterwards.
I wish that some power hungry and in-a-hurry characters stop seeing everything with tinted glasses to achieve their motives. The fact remains that an election held for the first time under a caretaker government is itself a major achievement as endorsed by UN and FAFEN. Now the power hungry variety wants to tell the world that please don't believe them and that Pakistan is actually a banana republic similar to an African country in seventies. This is pitful and pathetic.
Seems like the ECP has been sold out. When none of the political parties claim the elections were free and fair, they say "credibility of the General Elections 2013 which have been hailed by the whole world and have raised the image of Pakistan internationally."