The Code of Conduct Violation Monitoring System, developed by the Urban Unit of the Planning and Development Department, employs Android applications to document violations. PHOTO: REUTERS/ FILE
Violations of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) code of conduct for candidates and parties once reported would now be easily accessible to the relevant authorities.
The Code of Conduct Violation Monitoring System, developed by the Urban Unit of the Planning and Development Department, employs Android applications to document violations and makes the reports available to town municipal officers concerned and police officers concerned as well as designated authorities at the Urban Unit, Home Department and the ECP. Judicial officers authorised by monitoring teams will report rallies without permission, display or use of arms, use of loudspeakers, wall checking, oversize banners, posters and boards.
The inspector general of police, home secretary and the Urban Unit officials will have online access to the reports submitted by the judicial officers.
Field monitors would use an Android application to report location of the violation and the photographs in real time. The data would appear on a map.
An SMS would be sent to the town municipal officer or police officer concerned to take action against the violation. The TMO and the police officials concerned have been instructed to visit the sites immediately and remove the violation. In case of firing for instance, the candidate would be reported to the area police station. The TMO or the police official would send a confirmation SMS to the monitoring desk on reaching the scene.
The map, available to the IGP, the Home Department and Urban Unit officials, would also show the status of the violation (removed or continuing).
The divisional commissioners and regional police officers will have the rights to view all the reports in their division, district coordination officers and district police officers in their districts and assistant commissioners and tehsil municipal officers in their tehsils. The system is likely to be activated next week.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2013.
COMMENTS (10)
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1732012115-0/Untitled-design-(14)1732012115-0-270x192.webp "palestinians will be blessed with freedom")
Why isn't this crowd-sourced? Why couldn't ECP just put this app in the hands of every majha gama and let the field workers act as moderators of some sort to approve/disapprove and somehow validate the authenticity of each and every report. The point is Scale, obviously and primarily and then more transparency and inclusion secondarily.
Nevertheless, it's a good step.
Ejaz
This sounds really good if implemented as anticipated. Appropriate use of technology may help in many aspects faced by Pakistan!
Indeed an appreciable move!
Seems like a good effort. Hopefully the software is utilized up-to its maximum potential and it improve the overall process.
I'm just wondering whether there is enough electricity left in the country to actually check these reports "online".
First the ECP made a mockery of the Articles 62 & 63 (instead of asking about the Tax paid etc they asked to hear 'abc') then those who did got disqualified got themselves scot-free because the ECP didn't bother to defend their decisions in High Courts and Tribunals, and now they want us to take their gimmicks seriously? Really? Go smoke pot old men, you people belong in a retirement home not ECP!
Make the photos available to the public. Go Pakistan ! InshAllah make a wise decision :)
Good move. We can use more of technology to easily overcome other problems as well.
These same very people( the elite of Pakistan) who consider themselves above the law are not going to abide by some pesky code of conduct, they will do what ever it takes to get themselves in the NA and PAs and then strive to recover 10 fold of their investment in these elections from the Public treasury and others. I don't see any repercussion for violating the so called code of conduct, I wish the news media should propagate it extensively that those involve in mis-conduct will have some kind of repercussion otherwise this is a futile practice.
This system will not find much use.