Revised schedule: SC turns down ECP multi-phase election plan

Tells poll body to adhere to deadline set for LG polls

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday turned down the poll commission’s latest proposal for a multi-phased local government election that would begin on Sept 30 and end by December 9.

The revised schedule drawn up by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had proposed three phases of polling: the first phase on September 30, the second phase on November 4 and the third phase on December 9.

But the three-judge bench of the court, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, insisted that the local government elections  in Punjab and Sindh would only be held on the date set by the Supreme Court.

At the same time, the bench said that there was no justification for a multiphase election under a revised schedule.

Therefore, it has asked the commission Thursday evening to give the second revised schedule and the justification for the time required for holding elections. The hearing of the case will be resumed on Friday (today).

Earlier the bench asked as to why the local bodies elections in Sindh and Punjab would be held in phase-wise. Irfan Kausar deputy director ECP appearing before the bench responded that 400 million ballot papers are required to be printed.

According to him, the ECP is obliged to get the ballot papers printed from Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP) which currently does not have the sufficient capacity, therefore, one month required for it.

Irfan failed to refer any rule of the ECP when the bench asked to explain the rules that the ballot papers are to be printed from the PCP only,

He, however, stated that the commission had written a letter to the Establishment Division, pointing out deficiency and lack of capacity of the PCP and to purchase the modern machines for the printing organisation as currently the PCP is using the machinery of 1951.

Upon this, the court summoned its research staff into the courtroom to ascertain the speed of printing machines.

Quick internet browsing showed that fast printing machines can generate 100,000 copies of the ballots within an hour.

At this point, the SC observed that the commission does not consider itself independent in term of Article 220 of the Constitution, which says that it shall be the duty of all executive authorities in the federation and in the provinces to assist the Commissioner and the Election Commission in the discharge of his or their functions. It lamented that the commission considers itself subordinate of any executive department.

The bench pointed out that the delay in LG polls had disempowered the people as cantonment areas have gone without the exercise for the last 17 years and five years in the case of other provinces.

After the inclusion of 1.2 million voters, polling will be held in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) on May 30, the bench observed.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2015.