Schedule for ex-FATA polls expected next week

ECP official says increasing turnout of women voters remains a challenge

PESHAWAR: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to announce the date for the provincial assembly election in the merged districts soon, a senior official of the ECP said.

The biggest challenge however remains to bring women to polling booths in the highly conservative tribal society.

“Turnout of women in ex-FATA during 2018 General Elections was better. However ECP is trying to further improve it for the upcoming provincial assembly elections in the seven merged districts,” said ECP Gender Affairs Director Haroon Shinwari.

All arrangements have been finalised for the polls likely to take place after Ramazan, when over 2.5 million voters will exercise universal suffrage to elect their representatives, according to information available on ECP website.

There are at least 1.03 million registered women voters in the seven merged districts. As per regulations, there should be at least 10 per cent turnout of women voters in any constituency, otherwise results would be declared void and ECP would hold fresh elections.

It has been a practice in some constituencies that all political parties collude and decide women will not cast votes.

In this regard, Shinwari said that ECP Gender Affairs department has formulated teams of gender volunteers who are visiting education institutions to create awareness about the importance of vote for the tribal women.

More than 300 volunteers were busy disseminating information and awareness about elections, ECP gender affairs director said.

Regarding the last year’s general elections he said the highest turnout of women voters was recorded in Chitral where 44.34 per cent women voters came out to cast the ballot, whereas in Peshawar on 26 per cent registered female voters came to polling stations.

Shinwari urged the political parties to play their role in increasing numbers of women voters.

According to ECP figures from 2018 elections, around 1.03 million women are registered as voters in the tribal districts out of total 2.5 million registered voters. Among these, NA 40 Bajaur has 107,179 women voters, NA 41 Bajaur has 96,595, NA 42 Mohmand has 97,573, NA 43 Khyber 152,000, NA 44 Khyber has 114,261 women voters.

Similarly, number of registered women voters in NA 45 Kurram is 69,611, NA 46 Kurram 75,010, NA 47 Orakzai 72,927, NA 48 North Waziristan 77,537, NA 49 South Waziristan 44,865, and NA 51 FR has 66,327 women voters.

The highest turnout of women voters among tribal districts during 2018 general polls was in both constituencies of Kurram at 44 and 38 per cent respectively and lowest was in North Waziristan at 9.49 per cent.

Meanwhile, Shinwari said that the people of merged districts should realise the importance of participation from all segments of society in the political process especially women and special persons.

He said that every possible effort was made to facilitate disabled people at polling stations during the last general election enabling them to cast vote easily.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2019.