ECP wants passport, driving licence disallowed

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has forwarded a draft bill to the law ministry aimed at disallowing use of passport, driving license or any other document except computerised national identity card (CNIC) to cast vote in future elections.

The draft bill – the Election Laws (Amendment) Act, 2010 – seeks amendments to the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974. A copy of the draft bill is available with The Express Tribune.

“We have sent a draft bill to the law ministry (for legislation) last month proposing amendments to the election laws to make CNIC mandatory for enrolment as a voter,” a senior official of the commission said.

According to the draft bill, a new clause is being inserted in the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974, that says that the person who possesses the computerised identity card issued to him under the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2000, will be enrolled as voter and will be allowed to vote.

“Where an elector presents himself at the polling station to vote the presiding officer shall issue a ballot paper to the elector after satisfying himself about the identity of the elector and shall, for that purpose, require the elector to produce his computerised national identity card issued to him under the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2000,” says a clause regarding voting procedure.

Similarly, a new clause will substitute the existing clause 33 of the Representation of the People Act, 1976 that says that a ballot paper shall not be issued to a person who fails or refuses to produce his ‘computerised’ identity card.

At present, clause 33(3)(a) says that the ballot paper shall not be issued to a person who fails or refuses to produce his identity card provided for in the National Registration Act, 1973 or issued under the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2000.

The senior ECP official told The Express Tribune that there has been a practice going on that anybody who proves that he is a citizen of Pakistan is allowed to vote.

“There is a practice that people cast their vote by showing old identity cards, driving licences, passports, matriculation certificates or any other document which shows that he or she is a citizen of Pakistan,” the official said.

This, he maintained, leads to possible rigging in elections and the commission was handicapped to deal with the problem. However, the official said it is believed that the proposed legislation would curb the chances of rigging by disallowing use of any other document except computerised identity card.

The Election Commission is getting frustrated over the cold response by the law ministry for putting up the proposed legislation before the parliament.

“We have sent the draft bill to secretary law, justice and parliamentary affairs on May 11 but so far there is no response from his side,” the official said.

He said in the absence of proper legislation the commission was left with no other option but to permit people to cast their votes in the recent by-elections with old identity cards as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 28^th, 2010.