Irregularities: Thumbprint verification to begin in two weeks, says ECP

General Kayani promises full support for re-polling.

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will begin the process of verifying votes by matching thumbprints with the NADRA database within two weeks, an official said on Thursday.

ECP Secretary Ishtiaque Ahmed said in a news briefing that following an appeal by the  poll supervisory body NADRA had agreed to boost the capacity of its verification system. The system has been introduced in an effort to curb the possibility of vote-rigging.

In all, the ECP has received 110 complaints about alleged irregularities in the May 11 elections, Ishtiaque Ahmed said.

The poll body reviewed reports of the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) regarding over 100% voter turnout at polling stations. ECP secretary added that if the voter turnout at these polling stations was normal then the FAFEN record would be investigated. But he promised that action would be taken against presiding officers if they were found to be at fault.

Recounting, according to him, had been ordered in nine constituencies and complaints put forward by the PTI chairman would also be considered.



The election commission secretary told reporters that a decision regarding NA-250 would also be made on Friday.

Another press release issued by the commission said that ECP secretary has drawn attention to sub-clause (d) of Clause (6) of Article 51 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, which provides that “the members to fill seats reserved for women which are allocated to a province shall be elected through Proportional Representation System of Political Parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of the total number of general seats won by each political party from the province concerned in the National Assembly”.

It further read, “Sub-Clause (e) further provides that the members to fill seats reserved for non-Muslims shall be elected through Proportional Representation system of political parties list of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats owned by each political party in the National Assembly. The aforesaid provisions of the Constitution further provide that the total number of general seats shall include the independent returned candidate or candidates who may duly join such political party within three (3) days of the publication in the official Gazette of the names of the returned candidates”.

“The independent returned candidates are required to apply, after notification as returned candidates, to the leader of the political party for joining his party and the leader of the political party forthwith is required to inform the election commission of his joining through a letter to be delivered to the Election Commission in terms of sub-rule (5) of rule 3 of the national assembly and provincial assemblies allocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims (Procedure) Rules, 2002,” the press release concluded.

Kayani assures security for May 19 re-polling

Barely three days before re-polling is to be conducted in some polling stations of Karachi, army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim held a meeting on Thursday to discuss security arrangements.

The army chief assured the chief election commissioner of his support in providing assistance for the re-polling in some stations on May 19 in different constituencies, particularly in some parts of Karachi, where elections were cancelled due to rigging.

A close aide to the CEC told The Express Tribune that General Kayani assured Ebrahim that the army will follow the election commission’s instructions to ensure fair and transparent re-polling.

A press release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) also stated that the chief election commissioner had called on the COAS and thanked him for the army’s support in ensuring security throughout the elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.