Electoral Reforms Bill: ECP considers sending summary to president for passage

If govt fails to release funds for elections, then it would be difficult to conduct them on time: ECP member

ISLAMABAD:

Dejected by the failure of Parliament to pass the electoral reforms bill, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is considering getting it enacted through a presidential ordinance.

An ECP member told reporters that if Parliament did not pass the proposed law, the commission would have the option to send the summary of the Electoral Reforms Bill to the caretaker prime minister for approval through the president once the interim government is established.

ECP member Justice (retd) Riaz Kayani said an ordinance of electoral reforms was being prepared which would be sent to the caretaker prime minister for approval soon after the interim government is formed.

According to him, on the advice of the caretaker prime minister, the president would be bound to promulgate the ordinance within 15 days of receiving the summary. Kayani said electoral reforms were necessary to ensure free and fair elections.

He added that if the government failed to release Rs4 billion in funds for the elections, then it would be difficult to conduct them on time. Kayani did not expect the current government to release the funds. However, he hoped the caretaker government would do.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2013.