Mission accomplished: CEC content with ‘better than before’ elections
Appreciates cooperation of institutions for successful electoral exercise
Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Mohammad Raza visits a polling station in Rawalpindi. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
An hour after voting ended for the third phase of local government elections on Saturday, the chief election commissioner (CEC) expressed satisfaction with the overall exercise and termed the polls ‘better than any previous elections’.
Twelve districts of Punjab and six in Karachi went for polls in the final phase which started at 7.30am and culminated at around 5.30pm without any break.
At a brief news conference at the Election Commission of Pakistan headquarters, CEC Justice Sardar Raza Khan appreciated the cooperation of state institutions, particularly the army, Rangers, police, polling staff and ECP officials, for the much-awaited LG polls.
PML-N leads in Punjab with 560 seats, followed by independents with 513
He said the exercise was larger in scale but better than the previous polls because of improved arrangements and staff training.
The entire exercise cost the ECP about Rs3.8 billion. Polling took place in 83,893 constituencies of the 95 districts of Pakistan, with 82,840,135 voters exercising their rights for election of 305,431 candidates.
For the training of polling staff, 122,648 presiding and assistant presiding officers among other staff members were trained in 4,091 sessions. The training was monitored closely by ECP officials who gave their input to help improve the polling process.
“It is because of this [training] these elections were better than the past, as evident by the analyses of election observers,” CEC Raza claimed.
Joy, relief for winners
During the elections, 2,741 returning officers, district returning officers and assistant returning officers with 690,624 polling staff members performed duties at 70,941 polling stations. Seventeen companies of Pakistan Army, 15,000 paramilitary Rangers soldiers and 450,624 policemen performed security duties.
While comparing the latest polls with the general elections, the CEC said only 849 constituencies went for polls in 2013 when 15,629 candidates participated. Over 80 million voters had the right to vote then. The general elections employed around 300,000 staff at 69,801 polling stations. Around 180 million ballot papers were printed.
After the 18th amendment, the ECP has been entrusted with the responsibility of holding LG polls under Article 140A of the Constitution. Previously, the job was done by provincial election authorities.
All eyes on PML-N as Punjab heads for third phase
The elections in cantonment boards were held on April 25 across the country except Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which went for polls on May 30. The polls in Punjab and Sindh were divided into three phases. The first stage was held on October 30, the second on November 19 and the final one on December 5. The first-ever LG polls in the federal capital took place on November 30.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2015.
An hour after voting ended for the third phase of local government elections on Saturday, the chief election commissioner (CEC) expressed satisfaction with the overall exercise and termed the polls ‘better than any previous elections’.
Twelve districts of Punjab and six in Karachi went for polls in the final phase which started at 7.30am and culminated at around 5.30pm without any break.
At a brief news conference at the Election Commission of Pakistan headquarters, CEC Justice Sardar Raza Khan appreciated the cooperation of state institutions, particularly the army, Rangers, police, polling staff and ECP officials, for the much-awaited LG polls.
PML-N leads in Punjab with 560 seats, followed by independents with 513
He said the exercise was larger in scale but better than the previous polls because of improved arrangements and staff training.
The entire exercise cost the ECP about Rs3.8 billion. Polling took place in 83,893 constituencies of the 95 districts of Pakistan, with 82,840,135 voters exercising their rights for election of 305,431 candidates.
For the training of polling staff, 122,648 presiding and assistant presiding officers among other staff members were trained in 4,091 sessions. The training was monitored closely by ECP officials who gave their input to help improve the polling process.
“It is because of this [training] these elections were better than the past, as evident by the analyses of election observers,” CEC Raza claimed.
Joy, relief for winners
During the elections, 2,741 returning officers, district returning officers and assistant returning officers with 690,624 polling staff members performed duties at 70,941 polling stations. Seventeen companies of Pakistan Army, 15,000 paramilitary Rangers soldiers and 450,624 policemen performed security duties.
While comparing the latest polls with the general elections, the CEC said only 849 constituencies went for polls in 2013 when 15,629 candidates participated. Over 80 million voters had the right to vote then. The general elections employed around 300,000 staff at 69,801 polling stations. Around 180 million ballot papers were printed.
After the 18th amendment, the ECP has been entrusted with the responsibility of holding LG polls under Article 140A of the Constitution. Previously, the job was done by provincial election authorities.
All eyes on PML-N as Punjab heads for third phase
The elections in cantonment boards were held on April 25 across the country except Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, which went for polls on May 30. The polls in Punjab and Sindh were divided into three phases. The first stage was held on October 30, the second on November 19 and the final one on December 5. The first-ever LG polls in the federal capital took place on November 30.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 6th, 2015.