Clean chit for ECP, but…

FAFEN finds that Incidence of non-provision of Form 45 dropped to 2.5% in the 2018 from 7.5% in the 2013

The allegations of poll-day rigging in the 2018 general elections were mainly centred around Form 45. Opposition parties like the PML-N, the PPP, the MQM-P and others had rejected the election results alleging that their polling agents at — an unidentified number of — polling stations were not provided copies of Form 45 — a document that carries information about voters assigned to a polling station, the number of valid votes polled in favour of each candidate, ballots excluded from the count as well as credentials, signatures, and thumb impressions of the presiding officer and the most senior assistant president officer. Since the mentioned information is central to ensuring transparency of polls, the allegation of Form 45 not being provided to polling agents was of a serious nature, questioning the credibility and impartiality of the Election Commission of Pakistan, casting doubts on the whole election exercise.

However, the Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has — in its recent findings and analysis of the 2018 general election — given the ECP a clean chit as to the opposition’s scathing criticism over Form 45 and a related allegation of the expulsion of their polling agents from polling stations during the vote count. Fafen has found out that the incidence of non-provision of Form 45 to candidates and their agents at polling stations dropped to 2.5% in the 2018 elections from 7.5% in the 2013 elections. The Fafen report also rejects that polling agents had been expelled from polling stations.

The report, however, says that the assessment of Form 45 reveals that 22,319 forms — or 28% — were either inaccurate, unduly filled or were only partially available. The majority of such forms — 17,722 — were unduly filled. Missing most prominently and frequently were the NIC numbers, signatures or thumb impression of presiding officers. What shall we call this? Omission or commission? Irregularities or fraud? The same question had arisen in the previous elections too.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2018.

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