ECP meeting: Raise in electioneering expenses proposed

ISLAMABAD: As the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) gears up efforts to bring the much needed fundamental reforms in the electoral process, two of the biggest parties of the country – Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz – in a display of apathy towards the whole exercise failed to show up at an important meeting on Tuesday.

ECP had invited the presidents and secretary generals of all the mainstream political parties of the country for a two-day consultative meeting to get feedback on the proposed reforms it intends to bring in the election laws to make the electoral process credible.

Of the 15 political parties invited, all others except the PPP and PML-N participated on the first day of the meeting that will continue today (Wednesday). The officials of the ECP had no response when asked about the absence of the two major stakeholders, who have to play a crucial role if any changes are brought about in the election laws.

Given the existing numerical strength of these two parties in federal and provincial legislatures it is almost impossible to pass or amend any legislation if they do not support it.

By the end of the first day’s meeting, the ECP proposed to enhance the limit of expenses for electioneering.

Currently a candidate for provincial assembly is allowed to spend Rs1 million, while a national assembly candidate can spend a maximum of Rs1.5 million in an election campaign. This limit is hardly followed in most cases, but almost all candidates are believed to have submitted fake statements in this regard.

ECP has now proposed to enhance the limit for a provincial assembly candidate to Rs3 million and national assembly candidate to Rs5 million to rationalise the existing law.

Similarly, the commission has proposed that security fee to contest an election as an independent candidate be increased to Rs100,000 to discourage non-serious candidates. It has also proposed to increase the existing fee of Rs2,000 and Rs4,000 for party ticket holder candidates of the provincial and national assemblies to Rs10,000 and Rs20,000 respectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2011.