ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has proposed legislation to the government to almost triple the election campaign expenditures for upcoming candidates, sources informed APP on Tuesday.
According to these sources, the commission has recommended to enhance the election campaign expenditures for provincial assembly candidates to the tune of Rs3 million and for National Assembly candidates to Rs5 million.
At present, the election campaign expenditure limit is Rs1 million for provincial assembly candidates and Rs1.5 million for National Assembly candidates, the sources added.
When contacted, an ECP official confirmed the proposal and said that it has been moved to facilitate the candidates who have vast constituencies. However, the proposal is still pending with the government as proper legislation was needed for enhancing the limits.
"The limits at present are insufficient to meet the election campaign expenditure. We know that the candidates submit wrong figures. This legislation will facilitate them to avoid submitting false statements," the official said.
Justifying the proposal further, he said that in certain constituencies in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the candidates have to reach out to remote and far-flung areas. Moreover, the expenditures on holding meetings and processions also cost more than they cost a decade back.
"Therefore, when the candidates exceed the limits, they submit engineered figures to justify their expenditure," the official mentioned.
The official, however, elaborated that the commission will have a strict vigil on the election campaign expenditures. "We have suggested an increase, but we are also determined to strictly monitoring the expenditures."
The official quoted the example of India where Income Tax Officers monitor the spending and report to their commission."Although our ECP still awaits legislation on political financing, yet it has started monitoring the election expenditures."
The official mentioned that four teams each were deputed to Bannu and Multan during elections to monitor the spending. "We had constituted four teams each of every constituency with every team having four members."
When asked about the mechanism of assessing the expenditure, the official said that these teams were assigned to make video of rallies, processions and meetings; hoardings and billboards and wall chalking and the meals served at the congregations. "Through this mechanism, we could calculate the spending to some extent although, it could have not been fully authentic since there is no laid down mechanism."
When questioned about the validity and applicability of this mechanism, the official said that of course it is a complicated mechanism. "But, somebody has to start somewhere. We have started this practice and hope to bring to it more accuracy and transparency."
The Election Commission is diligently pursuing the reform agenda for making the election system in the country more credible and applicable. Numerous proposals are with the government as the commission awaits legislation on critical issues like political financing and making Code of Conduct for elections, part of the Representation of the People Act.
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No body believes that these rich people who constantly occupy the NA and PAs abide by the laws of the election commission. They lie and spend lot more than they are allowed under the rules while the Election Commission looks the other way. If the Election Commission of Pakistan was doing their job then how come so many of these people had fake degrees and dual nationalities in the Assemblies while enjoying the perks and privileges, although it was against the constitution but every thing goes if you are wealthy in the land of PAK. Pakistanis were never brought up to respect the constitution of the country, it is all for rhetoric.