Monitoring our polls: EU observers come closer to ‘dangerous’ grounds

Visit K-P governor, chief minister to discuss election preparations.

PESHAWAR:

A five-member delegation of the European Union (EU) election observation mission (EU EOM) called on Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Justice (Retd) Tariq Pervez Khan on Thursday.

Led by chief observer Michael Gahler, the mission discussed matters related to holding general elections in a peaceful, fair and transparent manner in the province. Other members of the delegation who met Pervez Khan included Antje Grawe and Salome Hirvaskoski, according to a statement issued by the chief minister’s office.

The chief minister reiterated the resolve of the provincial government to extend all possible assistance to the Election Commission Pakistan (ECP) to conduct free and impartial elections in the province. It was the constitutional responsibility of the caretaker government to ensure security for voters and contesting candidates, said Pervez, assuring the mission the K-P government is taking all possible measures to this effect.



The EU EOM was walked through arrangements made for conducting polls, including security for candidates, security at polling stations on May 11, and other related matters.

Pervez outlined the steps taken by the provincial government to ensure the ECP’s code of conduct was strictly adhered to. He also touched on the participation of women in the electoral process.

Safety measures for sensitive polling stations were also discussed with the EU observers, who were informed of monitoring mechanisms in place to ensure transparency.

The delegation, in turn, expressed satisfaction over the arrangements made so far. Gahler also presented EU EOM’s report on the last general elections in the country.

Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Fayaz Toru, Minister for Local Government Abdur Rauf Khattak, Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir Akhtar, Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Azam Khan, Information Secretary Azmat Hanif Orakzai, Provincial Election Commissioner Sonoo Khan Baloch and other officials were present at the meeting.

Meanwhile, the EU election observation mission also called on K-P Governor Shaukatullah Khan at the Governor House.

The governor highlighted the steps underway to ensure people in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) are able to exercise their right to choose their representatives without feeling threatened from any quarters.

Governor Shaukatullah, himself from Bajaur Agency, explained participating in political parties’ electioneering is a new experience for the tribal belt. The mission was told tribesmen were successfully heading towards fulfilling their “national responsibility”.

The EU deemed the tribal belt and Balochistan too dangerous for its observers. In an earlier news report, Gahler said, “For us to judge a process we need a sample, but we do not need to be present in each and every constituency or even region.”

The EU EOM will monitor 193 out of the 272 constituencies in Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3^rd, 2013.