Paperwork: ECP tells winners to file campaign expenses

Successful candidates need to submit details of expenditures on their elections supported by bills and vouchers.


Peer Muhammad May 18, 2013
The returns have to be filed on the prescribed forms available with the ECP and accompanied with all bills paid for running the election campaign. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked all the successful candidates to file the returns of campaign expenses within 10 days of the elections, cautioning them that it will not notify the candidate who fails to do so.


A notification issued by the ECP on Friday said that all the successful candidates for General Elections, 2013 shall file their Returns of Election Expenses latest by May 20, 2013 with the Returning Officers (ROs) concerned.

The returns have to be filed on the prescribed forms available with the ECP and accompanied with all bills paid for running the election campaign.

“All vouchers should accompany the account of election expenses, duly arranged according to the date of payment and serially numbered,” ECP directed.

The candidates elected against reserved seats for women and minorities also have to file their campaign returns with the ROs concerned.

The ECP warned that successful candidates shall not be notified in the official gazette, unless they deposit the mandatory election expenses returns.

Besides, the ECP stated that all the independent candidates shall submit an affidavit stating that they are joining a particular political party voluntarily and without any coercion.



ECP lifts ban on transfers, postings

The ECP on Friday lifted the ban on transfers and postings of government officials. According to a notification issued here, the commission had earlier issued various notifications regarding ban on transfers and postings of federal, provincial, and local government officials before the general elections. Since the elections have been conducted there is no need of any ban on the transfers and postings, it said.

PTI’s recount plea dismissed

Returning Officer (RO) Muhammad Akmal Khan dismissed complaints filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan from NA-122 and Muhammad Shoaib Siddiqui PP-147 seeking recounting of votes and getting examined the thumb impressions of casted votes.

RO Akmal Khan dismissed the complaints saying that these were not maintainable before this forum.

The National Assembly seat NA 122 in Lahore was one of the most hotly contested poll events. It was being considered a challenge match where PTI chief was to bat on PML-N home turf.

The PTI members are staging sit-ins and demanding re-election on this seat alleging rigging and use of unfair means by PML-N.

Complainants including PTI chief Imran Khan contended that through a systematic, deliberate and pre-planned scheme Sardar Ayaz Sadiq the winning candidate, his agents and supporters of the PML-N with active connivance and support of the presiding officers and polling officers, have violated numerous provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1976 (ROPA 1976).

They told the court that around 41 witnesses who were deputed by PTI as polling agents have submitted affidavits that they were harassed, were not given results and those which were given by the presiding officers were written on a simple paper and without signatures of presiding officers.

They told the court that presiding officers and polling officers have actively aided and abetted Sadiq in manipulating the results of the election, in blatant contravention of section 90, 91 and 92 of ROPA 1976.

Bogus and unverified votes have been cast, the results given by the presiding officers do not reflect the actual votes cast and do not tally with actual record available with such presiding officers and ballot boxes and papers have been tampered with.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2013.

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