PPP fears ECP results system will favour PML-N

The Election Management System (EMS) of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has raised concerns among candidates, weeks ahead of the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.

PPP Sindh's President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, during a press conference in Mirpurkhas district on Tuesday, voiced skepticism about the efficacy of the EMS. He pointed to the failure of a similar system, the Results Transmission System (RTS), during the 2018 general elections.

Khuhro alleged that the EMS may favour a particular political party, indirectly referring to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. "Results should be provided in writing immediately after the vote count to the polling agents of the candidates," he demanded. "The ECP has announced a successful experiment with the EMS, but how can we trust it after the failure of the previous RTS system in the 2018 elections?"

The RTS, operated by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for the 2018 elections, malfunctioned on the polling day, leading to widespread allegations of rigging. Former NADRA chairman Tariq Malik stated in July 2022 that the authority would not be involved in the transmission or management of election results in the future.

Read: ECP banks on technology to make polls fair

Khuhro claimed that in the 2018 elections, the RTS favoured Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and now the EMS seems poised to do the same for the PML-N. "We won't tolerate delayed election results under the guise of technical problems in the EMS, favouring a particular political party," he warned.

He predicted that the EMS could fail in rural and remote areas due to weak internet signals, resulting in delayed and questionable election outcomes. Khuhro urged the ECP to address these concerns before the elections and reiterated the implementation of the old system of providing results in writing on Form 45.

Quoting presiding officers, Khuhro mentioned that staff has not been provided with Android phones for result transmission to returning officers. He also urged the ECP to ensure immediate delivery of results to polling agents through Form 45, which contains the official vote count and is signed by the presiding officer and polling agents.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2024.