Free And Fair Polls: ‘We’ll call in ISI chief if needed’

ECP had called a meeting of 15 political parties to take them on board over preparations for the next general election

ISLAMABAD:

Vowing to make the election process credible, the chief election commissioner has said that he would summon anyone, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, if needed, to ensure the intelligence body or other agencies have no involvement in poll results.

“Credible elections are key to Pakistan’s future existence. It is the last mission of my life to hold free elections. Please don’t let me fail in this mission,” Justice (retd) Fakharuddin G Ebrahim was quoted as saying during a consultative session of mainstream political parties with election authorities on Thursday.

The ECP had called a meeting of 15 mainstream political parties to take them on board over the commission’s preparations for the next general election – due early next year.

“You have invited us all for consultative meeting. But, one party is missing,” said the leader of a religious party while referring to the intelligence agencies.

“They are the real party who has the final say in the making and breaking of election results,” he added. The party leader was seconded by many other leaders present at the meeting.

During the session, which lasted for eight hours, leaders of political parties, especially nationalist and opposition parties, asked the election commission to add ‘peaceful’ in its widely-used term ‘free, fair and transparent’ holding of elections.

Justice Ebrahim, who is in his 80s, told the media after the meeting that, if needed, he would seek the services of the armed forces at the polling stations to make the environment conducive for voters.

Meanwhile, PPP-Sherpao, Jamat-e-Islami, Baloch nationalists and other smaller parties expressed concern over the law and order situation in Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Karachi, adding that, under the current situation, contesting candidates cannot hold campaigns and voters would not come to polling stations.

Other concerns

Leaders of the political parties were also concerned about the exclusion of judicial officials from serving as returning officers, who scrutinise nomination papers and supervise the whole electoral process.

Under the 2009 national judicial policy, district and session judges cannot perform duties as returning officers, and Grade 18 and 19 officers of the federal and provincial governments would now take over.

The political parties were, however, of the view that it would be difficult to trust the impartiality of these officers and recommended the commission to approach the Supreme Court to review its decision, in this regard.

Electronic voting machines

Voting through electronic voting machines (EVMs) also came under discussion, with some leading parties suggesting the ECP to resort to EVMs if possible.

It would cost Rs14 billion to buy around 100,000 EVMs, officials of the commission said.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2012.