Slow internet, staff shortage: ROs hobbled by a plethora of problems
Chief justice orders the ECP to submit report and address these issues.
Chief justice orders the ECP to submit report and address these issues.
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI:
The Supreme Court on Thursday took note of the problems plaguing the district returning officers (DROs) in-charge of scrutinizing candidates, and directed the secretary of the election commission to submit a report addressing these issues.
These problems, which hamper the DROs from carrying out their election duties smoothly, include repeated power outages, slow internet connections, and non-cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Revenue and the National Accountability Bureau.
An official press release from the top court stated that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry sought details from the respective high court registrars before directing ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed to submit a report about what steps were being taken to facilitate election management for the officers.
The chief justice wrote to the registrars of the high courts on April 2, asking them about the problems they were facing.
In response, the Lahore High Court registrar highlighted the shortage of supportive staff, the absence of IT facilities in various districts, insufficient security arrangements inside court premises, lack of logistic support, lack of coordination by the executive authorities, and inadequate communication on part of the election commission.
In a similar vein, the returning officers from Sindh underlined the absence of comprehensive voters’ lists, frequent disruption in the supply of electricity, FBR and NAB delays in furnishing reports, and the shortage of funds, stationery, and transport facilities.
Additionally, judicial officers serving as DROs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa informed the SC that they were not being provided vehicles and were unsatisfied with the security arrangements, keeping in mind the law and order situation in the province. They said that monitoring teams were selected by the ECP without consulting them, and also stressed upon FBR and NAB non-cooperation in the supply of relevant, timely data.
In turn, the Balochistan High Court registrar echoed the statements made by the other registrars. Once again, unsatisfactory security arrangements, slow internet, lack of transportation facilities, insufficient funds and severed coordination between the various agencies topped the list.
CJ gives pep talk to judicial officers
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry during a meeting in Karachi appealed to judicial officers of Sindh, who have been assigned the job of returning officers, to fearlessly assist ECP conduct elections in free, fair and transparent manner.
The role of district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers, according to the chief justice, is of prime importance for conducting elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.
“The judicial officers have been chosen for this task of national importance which will prove to be a paradigm shift in shaping the destiny of our country,” he explained.
The chief justice said the voters were one of the most important stakeholders for achieving the object of free and fair elections. The voter has right to access to information with reference to the credentials of a candidate for whom he is going to vote, said the CJ.
He told the judicial officers that induction of judiciary in electoral process means that they would not be influenced by any political pressure, any political party or politician. “Similarly, you will not support any political party or any political leader,” he said, adding “your credibility and impartiality is under scrutiny,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2013.
The Supreme Court on Thursday took note of the problems plaguing the district returning officers (DROs) in-charge of scrutinizing candidates, and directed the secretary of the election commission to submit a report addressing these issues.
These problems, which hamper the DROs from carrying out their election duties smoothly, include repeated power outages, slow internet connections, and non-cooperation of the Federal Bureau of Revenue and the National Accountability Bureau.
An official press release from the top court stated that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry sought details from the respective high court registrars before directing ECP Secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed to submit a report about what steps were being taken to facilitate election management for the officers.
The chief justice wrote to the registrars of the high courts on April 2, asking them about the problems they were facing.
In response, the Lahore High Court registrar highlighted the shortage of supportive staff, the absence of IT facilities in various districts, insufficient security arrangements inside court premises, lack of logistic support, lack of coordination by the executive authorities, and inadequate communication on part of the election commission.
In a similar vein, the returning officers from Sindh underlined the absence of comprehensive voters’ lists, frequent disruption in the supply of electricity, FBR and NAB delays in furnishing reports, and the shortage of funds, stationery, and transport facilities.
Additionally, judicial officers serving as DROs in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa informed the SC that they were not being provided vehicles and were unsatisfied with the security arrangements, keeping in mind the law and order situation in the province. They said that monitoring teams were selected by the ECP without consulting them, and also stressed upon FBR and NAB non-cooperation in the supply of relevant, timely data.
In turn, the Balochistan High Court registrar echoed the statements made by the other registrars. Once again, unsatisfactory security arrangements, slow internet, lack of transportation facilities, insufficient funds and severed coordination between the various agencies topped the list.
CJ gives pep talk to judicial officers
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry during a meeting in Karachi appealed to judicial officers of Sindh, who have been assigned the job of returning officers, to fearlessly assist ECP conduct elections in free, fair and transparent manner.
The role of district returning officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers, according to the chief justice, is of prime importance for conducting elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.
“The judicial officers have been chosen for this task of national importance which will prove to be a paradigm shift in shaping the destiny of our country,” he explained.
The chief justice said the voters were one of the most important stakeholders for achieving the object of free and fair elections. The voter has right to access to information with reference to the credentials of a candidate for whom he is going to vote, said the CJ.
He told the judicial officers that induction of judiciary in electoral process means that they would not be influenced by any political pressure, any political party or politician. “Similarly, you will not support any political party or any political leader,” he said, adding “your credibility and impartiality is under scrutiny,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2013.