ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday warned that if the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government remains adamant about its demand for bio-metric systems, then the much-awaited local bodies’ elections will be delayed further.
The local bodies' elections have been postponed time and time after again since 2009.
ECP expressed its reservations and said if K-P’s fresh legislation will be followed, then elections cannot be held till August/September of 2015.
“The apex court also asked us to hold elections and we cannot further delay the process,” ECP officials told National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs.
"You should convince the Supreme Court for further postponement of local bodies’ elections because we cannot afford Imran Khan’s criticism in the future," said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNAs.
Citing possible criticism from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chairperson Imran Khan as a reason, the parliamentary panel asked the commission to hold bio-metric local bodies’ elections in all provinces to endure broader acceptability of such exercise.
PML-N MNA Mian Tariq Mahmood said that it is better to hold consensus-based elections than controversial elections.
Officials of the ECP claimed that the K-P government published rules and regulations of delimitation of villages and neighbourhood councils, earlier this year.
During the meeting, MNA Syed Essa Nori said that the ECP in Balochistan failed to hold local government elections in a transparent manner, adding that voting in some parts of the province was not carried out at all.
The committee asked the ECP to investigate this matter particularly in the Turbat area where elections were allegedly not held. The commission officials said that elections for general seats in Balochistan province were held on December 7, 2013 and 6817 seats out of 7167 seats were filled, while 348 seats remained vacant and two cases are pending before Balochistan High Court.
The committee members asked the ECP to hold uniform elections in all the provinces. The ECP officials said it is easy to hold uniform elections but the commission cannot force the provinces in this regard as the 18th amendment gives provinces authority to introduce a governance system of their own choice.
Pakistan Peoples Party MNA Nafisa Shah opined that principles in the local bodies should remain same for each province.
COMMENTS (16)
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IK and his PTI will find 1001 reasons to whine about the biometric system as well. It's better build consensus and get on with the local bodies elections with or without the gadgets.
ECP has played a role, time and again to protect the interests of their corrupt masters. It's first time they are feeling the heat of wave of change. No more excuses, do you job or get lost.
PTI also demands the immediate resignation of the Prime Minister! Oops. We wont get that extra judicial demand either.
I liked it ;)
lol, pmln will find 1001 reasons to delay bio-mertic voting. Any system which can reduce rigging, is not liked by PMLN.
ECP took 1 year and 6 months to even start some activity, and that too after a Suo moto notice by the Apex court. No wonder why everyone wants them to be fired. Federal government failing to appoint any permanent CEC is also a culprit in delaying genuine democracy in Pakistan.
Before election ECP should make sure no rigging again and it is only possible when system will be there
Good step from PTI. If they are waiting since 2009. Then let it wait. We need to move out of this backward Electoral process...I will not vote again in this pathetic electoral system unless biometric is introduced.
Better wait for few more months and get this thing sorted out once and for all. Bio metric system is the solution and works fine in other countries. @ Zain dear... so there are no such people in other countries where bio metric system is working? Simple solution... same rules to apply to people with physical disabilities. Have you tried finding out that NADRA makes CNIC for such people..
GO NAWAZ GO....!!
PTI has been demanding biometric elections for quite long time. But as usual ECP has been lazy.
It is better to have elections through bio-metric system. We must grow up as nation now.
Because ECP and other competent lawmakers knows that once this system implemented then theres no way to fool the nation.... Imran Khan we love you...... GO NAWAZ GO!!!
New legislation is required. New rules have to be framed (consider if the machine cannot match a valid voters fingerprint - should he be not allowed to vote? What if he burnt his fingers and the fingerprints are no longer readable? Have no arms? Many cases to frane rules about).
It'd make sense to first pilot test biometric system in one UC or one tehsil and then expand widely. Prototyping for elections is wrong.