Pakistanis abroad: Authorities in a fix over overseas voters

Authorities have yet to figure out a secure mechanism to enable overseas Pakistanis to vote.


Our Correspondent March 31, 2013
The authorities, including the Election Commission of Pakistan, have deliberated several options but found them all to be flawed. DESIGN: EMA ANIS

ISLAMABAD:


The Supreme Court’s insistence on enabling overseas Pakistanis to vote in the May 11 general elections has placed the relevant authorities in a fix.


Severely castigated by the court for their inability to devise a workable mechanism, the authorities, including the Election Commission of Pakistan, have deliberated several options but found them all to be flawed.

Talking to The Express Tribune, sources in the ECP and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) said that none of the proposed mechanisms had been tested and even a minor error could sabotage the entire electoral exercise.

A three-member SC bench on Friday directed the secretaries of the ECP and the ministries of law and justice, information technology, foreign affairs and overseas Pakistanis, along with the NADRA chairman, to coordinate with each other and devise a mechanism that ensures Pakistani expats can vote in the May 11 polls.

“There are some proposed mechanisms, but they are overly simple … this is not an election for a club or a few constituencies,” said a top ECP official. “Options which involve the internet are prone to hacking and misuse,” he said.

Given the concentration of Pakistanis from specific areas among the overseas population, their votes could have significant impact on their native constituencies. Possible misuse, as such, creates an equally grave threat for the electoral process.

In their report submitted before the SC, NADRA’s IT experts said exercising the internet option would compromise electoral rolls severely due to risks, such as hacking, which could not be mitigated within the short time given for polls. In addition to this, they maintained internet voting could not reliably confirm voters’ identities and would also compromise their privacy.

“Such confirmation can only be ensured through biometric verification… in its absence the possibility of casting votes against someone else’s identity cannot be ruled out,” the experts added.

The possibility of using voters’ voice signatures for recognition has also been discussed, according to sources. But, this option, too, cannot be implemented on such a short notice given that there is no database tagging citizens’ voice signature with their National Identity Cards.

NADRA itself, meanwhile, proposed setting up polling stations at Pakistani missions abroad. Registered voters living overseas would be able vote at mission nearest to their location on polling day. The voters would have to come in person to the mission, where a presiding officer would capture their thumb impression using a digitiser to confirm their identity and link it to the voter’s native constituency. After the voter confirms his/her vote, the data would be transferred to the ECP database.

This mechanism too, however, is not without its flaws. A major impediment is the limited space available at the missions. In case of a large turnout at a particular mission, the voting process might not conclude on time. Another hurdle, for voters, would be getting to the mission itself – even the nearest one might lie beyond certain voters’ reach.

In addition to this, it is estimated that setting up such facilities at Pakistani missions in 15 countries would cost the government around $1.5 million.

According to the ECP official, there were legal and diplomatic hitches before NADRA’s proposal as well.

Of the 4.5 million overseas Pakistanis registered to vote, around 1.7 million live in Saudi Arabia, 1.3 million live in the UAE, 277,131 live in Oman, 131,589 live in Kuwait and 80,166 live in Bahrain – most of these countries do not allow such political activities.

Of the remaining number, 367,988 registered Pakistani voters live the in UK, 131,589 in the US, 90,148 in Canada, 56,495 in Greece, 55,851 in Malaysia, 39,618 in Spain, 23,585 in France and 15,728 live in Australia.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31st, 2013.

COMMENTS (35)

AhmadR | 11 years ago | Reply

Itna Pakistan say pyar hai or elections say, then come back to pakistan, rather than asking for your rights. The pakistanis living outside the country is one of the reaons pakistan has not progressed. When all you educated people leave the country, who is back in Pakistan to contribute. And now you are asking for voting rights. Then us Pakistanis living in Pakistan should be given the right to vote you EXPATS out from working or doing anything in our economy.

Pehlay mulk toh ao, contribute, and please dont say we send remittance. Apni Zaat par remittance bhaijtay ho. Koi Developments or contribution in industries nahee kartya.

Nahee, par dheet hain aap sab, vote chahyay. If dual nationals cannot participate in elections, then neither can expats vote. I hope this process doesnt work. You all want an online solution as well, so you can hack. Please igve us a break. Come to Pak first. or travel to vote.

asif | 11 years ago | Reply

with so many option available and so many suggestions coming the only out come appears is "when there is a will there is a way". Come on ECP do it.

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