Commission says since election schedule has been announced, making such a change will be inappropriate.
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided against introducing the “none of the above” option in ballot papers for the upcoming elections, Express News reported on Friday.
On April 3, the commission announced that it will include this option in the ballot papers to be used for the May 11 polls. However, the decision was criticised by many.
The commission, today, said since the election schedule has been announced, making such a change will be inappropriate.
The option – if included – had given voters for the first time a choice of rejecting all candidates contesting in their respective constituencies.
Last year, the Supreme Court in its verdict on the Workers Party case had asked ECP to contemplate this option, which is in practice in some countries. In some of these countries, a run-off poll is held if over 50% of the voters in any constituency use this option. In others, a run-off poll is held if the ‘none of the above’ votes surpass the number of votes for the highest scoring candidate.
COMMENTS (10)
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Bad decision!
We are not living in FREE country.
This is not fair. The NOTA column must be retained. This election will not do any good to Pakistan. Pakistan is not made for democracy as democracy is not the system supported by Islam. There is no such thing in Islam. We are pursuing this system to help US achieve its objectives in the region.
SC must make sure to implement this. Examples of MQM's forcefulness to vote for them and PPP's in Sindh can be easily exposed. I am not against any party or candidate who is cleared by ECP but then the people of Pakistan must have equal rights to accept ot reject all candidates who will be leading us in the future.
If it is implemented in other countries then it should be implemented in pakistan also.
A gutless ECP...one good move...and now taken back...
ECP changed it's decision under the influence of political parties. Now, someone who doesn't want to vote will stay at home and his vote will be misused by someone else instead. Registered voters should have been forced to go to polling stations and vote for 'non of the above' even if they don't want to want for someone, just so they their votes don't get misused.
If the option of "none of the above" vote is included in the ballot paper, I am sure that after few months, the Election Commission of Pakistan would be preparing for another election in Pakistan.
There are majority of the people who do not want to elect the candidates of the same political parties who have ruled the country time and again.
This will give benefit to some new political party e.g. PTI who have never ruled the country in the past.
It was too much of an idealistic Pakistani election to dream of , So as usual no change , This was one of the best options that could have shown the non-confidenece of voters , Stupid decission. Hope it can be implemented next time.
Vote4None will be casted at roads all over the Pakistan on 11th May 2013.
What ECP has did was all expected and it's all about serving the corrupt system.