House of errors: Misprint on ballots leaves assembly members baffled
After much debate over re-polls, PPP’s Shehla Raza secures title of deputy speaker.
Newly elected legislator Sumita Afzal took to drawing during the drab and lengthy election process of the speaker and deputy speaker of the Sindh Assembly on Thursday. PHOTO:ATHAR KHAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The first concern of the Sindh Assembly after its newly elected members took oath, it appears, was how to cast votes for the deputy speaker of the House. As member after member continued to cast their vote in the session on Thursday, a puzzling situation arose when it was pointed out that instead of Shehla Raza’s name Agha Siraj Durrani’s name had been printed. Durrani had earlier been elected as the Sindh Assembly speaker in the same session.
The error was noticed by the new assembly speaker after 60 members had already cast their votes and only when a member of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional whispered to him that there was an error on the ballot paper. It was brought to his notice that the name of Pakistan Peoples Party’s Shehla Raza - who was contesting against Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Heer Soho and PML-F’s Nusrat Seher Abbasi for the slot of deputy speaker - had been replaced by his own.
This revelation presented a conundrum in the House as lawmakers of the MQM and PML-F demanded re-elections while the PPP said that the polls should continue - in a little while, the stance of the parties interchanged. “I am a candidate for deputy speaker but my name is missing. How can I accept this election? I will challenge it in court if re-elections are not held,” declared Shehla Raza after consultation with senior leaders of her party.
Earlier, Speaker Durrani had suggested that since his name on the ballot paper had been printed by mistake, it could be used to cast votes for Shehla Raza but that recommendation did not go down well. The speaker ordered an inquiry into the error, suspended the polls and new ballot papers went for printing.
Exchange of words
As the ballots were being reprinted, leaders of the parliamentary parties - including Nisar Khuhro of PPP, Faisal Sabzwari of MQM and Imtiaz Shaikh of PML-F - assembled in front of the dais and discussed the matter.
“How is it possible that the educated MPAs didn’t know about the error of the missing name of the PPP candidate from the ballot papers until 60 members had used their right of vote?” asked MQM’s Heer Soho, stressing that polling should have continued for the office of the deputy speaker. “We should accept the results.” Her opposition against the re-polls was seconded by PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi.
Shehla Raza, who had the majority members in the House and was a clear winner, however, opposed the suggestions of her competitors and announced that she would not accept the results as her name was not included in the ballot papers.
“We will seize the earlier ballot papers which were printed with errors and used to cast votes,” said Durrani.
Deputy speaker announced - finally
After the new and error-free ballot papers arrived, re-polls were held with Shehla Raza securing the title of the deputy speaker with 86 votes. MQM’s Heer Soho got 48 votes and PML-F/PML-N’s joint candidate Nusrat Sehar Abbasi received only 18 votes. The three MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf did not take part in the election.
Meanwhile, Durrani announced an inquiry into errors in the ballot papers and to take action against the officers responsible for the misprints.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2013.
The first concern of the Sindh Assembly after its newly elected members took oath, it appears, was how to cast votes for the deputy speaker of the House. As member after member continued to cast their vote in the session on Thursday, a puzzling situation arose when it was pointed out that instead of Shehla Raza’s name Agha Siraj Durrani’s name had been printed. Durrani had earlier been elected as the Sindh Assembly speaker in the same session.
The error was noticed by the new assembly speaker after 60 members had already cast their votes and only when a member of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional whispered to him that there was an error on the ballot paper. It was brought to his notice that the name of Pakistan Peoples Party’s Shehla Raza - who was contesting against Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Heer Soho and PML-F’s Nusrat Seher Abbasi for the slot of deputy speaker - had been replaced by his own.
This revelation presented a conundrum in the House as lawmakers of the MQM and PML-F demanded re-elections while the PPP said that the polls should continue - in a little while, the stance of the parties interchanged. “I am a candidate for deputy speaker but my name is missing. How can I accept this election? I will challenge it in court if re-elections are not held,” declared Shehla Raza after consultation with senior leaders of her party.
Earlier, Speaker Durrani had suggested that since his name on the ballot paper had been printed by mistake, it could be used to cast votes for Shehla Raza but that recommendation did not go down well. The speaker ordered an inquiry into the error, suspended the polls and new ballot papers went for printing.
Exchange of words
As the ballots were being reprinted, leaders of the parliamentary parties - including Nisar Khuhro of PPP, Faisal Sabzwari of MQM and Imtiaz Shaikh of PML-F - assembled in front of the dais and discussed the matter.
“How is it possible that the educated MPAs didn’t know about the error of the missing name of the PPP candidate from the ballot papers until 60 members had used their right of vote?” asked MQM’s Heer Soho, stressing that polling should have continued for the office of the deputy speaker. “We should accept the results.” Her opposition against the re-polls was seconded by PML-F’s Nusrat Abbasi.
Shehla Raza, who had the majority members in the House and was a clear winner, however, opposed the suggestions of her competitors and announced that she would not accept the results as her name was not included in the ballot papers.
“We will seize the earlier ballot papers which were printed with errors and used to cast votes,” said Durrani.
Deputy speaker announced - finally
After the new and error-free ballot papers arrived, re-polls were held with Shehla Raza securing the title of the deputy speaker with 86 votes. MQM’s Heer Soho got 48 votes and PML-F/PML-N’s joint candidate Nusrat Sehar Abbasi received only 18 votes. The three MPAs of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf did not take part in the election.
Meanwhile, Durrani announced an inquiry into errors in the ballot papers and to take action against the officers responsible for the misprints.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2013.