'Flawed elections': Qadri to lead protest at PA on election day
‘Govt broke promises on period of scrutiny, application of Articles 62 and 63’.
After the elections, the successful candidates will be purchased and sold like cattle, says Dr Tahirul Qadri
LAHORE:
Tehreek-i-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Wednesday announced that his party will stage a sit-in across the country on May 11.
He was addressing a press conference at the Minhaj office. He said the election commission had corrupt officials who wanted to protect a corrupt electoral system and the judiciary was in cahoots with them.
Qadri said the government had previously agreed to his demands during the sit-in on December 23, but later backed out of them. “Neither had the time given for scrutiny was extended nor Articles 62 and 63 were enforced properly,” he said.
Political leaders, who had been tax defaulters for years, had been given the go-ahead to contest elections. Several fake degree holders were also contesting elections, said Qadri.
The election commission required each National Assembly candidate to open a bank account with Rs1,500,000 for campaign expenditure and each provincial assembly candidate Rs1,000,000. Clause-21 of the code of conduct stipulates: no transaction towards the election expenses shall be made through an account other than the account opened for the purpose.
However, the rule was not being respected by most candidates, said Qadri. The election commission had recently asked the PEMRA to provide it information regarding the money spent by parties on TV ad campaigns. “Major political parties have spent as much as Rs2 billion on these ad campaigns,” he said.
In the past, several parties have sought financial support for their campaigns from various countries.
This time too, several neighbouring countries and others have funded the major political parties’ campaigns, he said.
“Who will raise the question of sovereignty and autonomy once these politicians come to power?” he said. He would provide details about these donations to the ISI if it was interested, said Qadri.
He said that Awami Tehreek workers would stage a sit-in at several points in the city. He would personally lead protest in front of the Punjab Assembly on May 11, he said. After the elections, the successful candidates would be purchased and sold like cattle, Qadri said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2013.
Tehreek-i-Minhajul Quran chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on Wednesday announced that his party will stage a sit-in across the country on May 11.
He was addressing a press conference at the Minhaj office. He said the election commission had corrupt officials who wanted to protect a corrupt electoral system and the judiciary was in cahoots with them.
Qadri said the government had previously agreed to his demands during the sit-in on December 23, but later backed out of them. “Neither had the time given for scrutiny was extended nor Articles 62 and 63 were enforced properly,” he said.
Political leaders, who had been tax defaulters for years, had been given the go-ahead to contest elections. Several fake degree holders were also contesting elections, said Qadri.
The election commission required each National Assembly candidate to open a bank account with Rs1,500,000 for campaign expenditure and each provincial assembly candidate Rs1,000,000. Clause-21 of the code of conduct stipulates: no transaction towards the election expenses shall be made through an account other than the account opened for the purpose.
However, the rule was not being respected by most candidates, said Qadri. The election commission had recently asked the PEMRA to provide it information regarding the money spent by parties on TV ad campaigns. “Major political parties have spent as much as Rs2 billion on these ad campaigns,” he said.
In the past, several parties have sought financial support for their campaigns from various countries.
This time too, several neighbouring countries and others have funded the major political parties’ campaigns, he said.
“Who will raise the question of sovereignty and autonomy once these politicians come to power?” he said. He would provide details about these donations to the ISI if it was interested, said Qadri.
He said that Awami Tehreek workers would stage a sit-in at several points in the city. He would personally lead protest in front of the Punjab Assembly on May 11, he said. After the elections, the successful candidates would be purchased and sold like cattle, Qadri said.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2013.