PM directs ECP to expedite the process

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered his cabinet colleague to speed up of the process of appointing ECP members.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani ordered his cabinet colleague on Tuesday to speed up of the process of appointing Election Commission members under a new mechanism envisaged in the 18th constitutional amendment.

Gilani ordered Law Minister Dr Babar Awan to move swiftly for the formation of a parliamentary commission that will ultimately choose members for the key body that is responsible to hold elections in the country.

The directive by the premier comes amid allegations by opposition parties that the government is delaying the restructuring of the Election Commission in an effort to shield parliamentarians with forged degrees.

The commission used to comprise a chairman and four members — all sitting judges of the high courts from all provinces — before the 18th amendment. But the 18th amendment envisages that the retired judges should replace serving ones as members of the commission. The amendment has also altered the mechanism for appointing the members.

Previously, it was a prerogative of the government to pick any serving judge from the high courts in consultation with the chief justice. But now it has been decided that a parliamentary commission, comprising parliamentarians from both the government and the opposition, will nominate the members.

There have been muted concerns by commission officials about the delay of appointments since the Supreme Court has assigned it the task of identifying lawmakers with bogus degrees.

Last month, the chief election commissioner met Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to seek his help in this connection.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 4^th, 2010.