Mismanagement: Polling agents blame ECP for poor planning

KARACHI: Polling agents deployed for the PS-117 by-elections, despite their political differences, seemed to be on the same page when it came to mismanagement on the part of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Polling station No 48 was supposed to be set up at Madani Primary School, Martin Quarters. However, at the eleventh hour, according to presiding officer Muhammad Imran Khan, the polling station was shifted to a footpath with two polling booths, for men and women, on the directives of the returning officer.

The new polling station was covered with a tent from all sides, while there was no electricity or drinking water available. Polling agents of Pakistan Peoples Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Arsalan Mirza and Irfan Ahmed, shared their woes. “We have no water, no electricity,” complained Mirza.

Meanwhile, Ahmed wondered who would come out of their home to cast a vote at a footpath in this hot weather. “I just suffered from heatstroke two days ago and today I am sitting on a footpath,” he said.

On the other hand, at the female polling booth, which was partitioned with a curtain, the polling agents had brought their pedestal fans but they could not operate due to lack of electricity. “This is for the first time ladies have been asked to sit on a footpath to conduct elections,” said one of the elderly polling officers, Ruqsana.

At a polling station in Soldier Bazaar, the situation was even worse. The roofs of the classrooms were withering, due to which most of the polling booths were moved out into the corridors or the open ground. MQM’s polling agent, Dr Ruqiya, pointed out that the school has no toilets.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2016.