Upcoming polls: Senate panel proposals need legal cover, says Ishaq Dar
Says caretaker govt would have the option to introduce bill in the form of a presidential ordinance.
Senator Ishaq Dar. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The Senate Special Committee on Election Issues’ recommendations need to be provided “legal cover” by Parliament to ensure free and fair elections, Leader of the Opposition in Senate Senator Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the launch of a report by the committee on elections, the senator said his party (PML-N) had not been taken into confidence by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) about changes in the nomination forms of election candidates.
“The Parliament can do this by midnight of March 16 or if it cannot then the caretaker government would have the option to send the summary of the reforms bill to the caretaker prime minister for approval through the president in the form of an ordinance,” said Ishaq Dar, adding that the proposals had been agreed upon by all parties in the Senate.
The senator said the committee also proposed the amendment of the Representation of People Act so that political leaders, or those who receive threats from extremists and terrorists, are exempted from personal appearance at the time of filing the nomination papers.
“In the current situation it will be dangerous for contestants to submit two or three nomination forms,” Dar said.
“We introduced the private bill for the purpose to revoke that amendment which will also benefit Musharraf but we should be fair to all,” he said.
He went on to add that ECP should not be influenced by the media as its powers had been secured after the passage of 20th Amendment. Earlier, Leader of the House in Senate Jahangir Badar said the report has been prepared after the consensus of all political parties, including those with no representation in Parliament.
The report represents the consensus of all parties and the recommendations reflect sincere efforts to hold free and fair elections with ECP’s cooperation and assistance, Badar added.
“We have undergone the lashes of dictatorship in the past but we will not let this happen to our future generation as we must protect democracy for our survival,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2013.
The Senate Special Committee on Election Issues’ recommendations need to be provided “legal cover” by Parliament to ensure free and fair elections, Leader of the Opposition in Senate Senator Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday.
Speaking at the launch of a report by the committee on elections, the senator said his party (PML-N) had not been taken into confidence by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) about changes in the nomination forms of election candidates.
“The Parliament can do this by midnight of March 16 or if it cannot then the caretaker government would have the option to send the summary of the reforms bill to the caretaker prime minister for approval through the president in the form of an ordinance,” said Ishaq Dar, adding that the proposals had been agreed upon by all parties in the Senate.
The senator said the committee also proposed the amendment of the Representation of People Act so that political leaders, or those who receive threats from extremists and terrorists, are exempted from personal appearance at the time of filing the nomination papers.
“In the current situation it will be dangerous for contestants to submit two or three nomination forms,” Dar said.
“We introduced the private bill for the purpose to revoke that amendment which will also benefit Musharraf but we should be fair to all,” he said.
He went on to add that ECP should not be influenced by the media as its powers had been secured after the passage of 20th Amendment. Earlier, Leader of the House in Senate Jahangir Badar said the report has been prepared after the consensus of all political parties, including those with no representation in Parliament.
The report represents the consensus of all parties and the recommendations reflect sincere efforts to hold free and fair elections with ECP’s cooperation and assistance, Badar added.
“We have undergone the lashes of dictatorship in the past but we will not let this happen to our future generation as we must protect democracy for our survival,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2013.