Fresh delimitation vital for true representation: ECP

Without updated constituencies and voter lists, the essence of democracy could be compromised, it notes

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) emphasized on Friday that a genuine representation of the people in parliament would be compromised if general elections were conducted without the process of conducting fresh delimitation of constituencies.

In a unanimous three-page decision, the commission underscored the significance of new constituencies to ensure transparent elections.

The ECP asserted that updated voters' lists were indispensable for both the electorate and political candidates to achieve authentic representation in the legislative assemblies. "The primary constitutional responsibility of the ECP is to ensure genuine representation in the voters' lists," the statement stated.

A day prior to this announcement, the ECP revealed its plan to overhaul all constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies based on the fresh census data. This decision, however, meant that the upcoming general elections would not be held within the stipulated 90-day period, as outlined in the Constitution.

During a meeting presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, the ECP decided to complete the delimitation process within four months, setting a deadline of December 14. This alteration was made to accommodate the new census results.

As per the Constitution, if an assembly's term concludes, elections are to be held within 60 days. However, in cases where dissolution precedes the term's end by even a single day, the elections must take place within 90 days.

In this context, the previous National Assembly was dissolved on August 9, upon the advice of then-Premier Shehbaz Sharif, a mere three days before its term ended. This decision paved the way for general elections to be held by the first week of November.

Notably, just four days before the dissolution, the government convened a meeting of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), which ratified the results of the digital census conducted from March to May 2023.

Article 224 of the Constitution mandates the ECP to hold general elections within 90 days of dissolution. However, Section 17(2) of the Elections Act specifies that the commission should conduct the delimitation of constituencies after every officially published census.

The ECP's written decision highlighted that the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics had released the census results on August 7. These results indicated an increase of 20,085 blocks, necessitating an update to the voters' lists.

Furthermore, the commission stressed that post-enumeration elections demanded not only new constituencies but also error-free voters' lists. This rationale led to the decision to delineate fresh constituencies based on the new census data before conducting the forthcoming general elections.

Citing decisions made by the Supreme Court, the ECP underscored the indispensability of new constituencies and updated electoral lists for genuine representation in parliament.

It emphasized that these changes were crucial to uphold the fundamental rights of candidates, political parties, and voters alike.