Statement on assets: Tougher laws eyed for MPs who conceal riches

Proposed election reforms package also seeks to tighten noose around members who opt not to file asset details

ISLAMABAD:

Election authorities are seriously pursuing plans to tighten the noose around lawmakers who hide their real wealth and resort to a ‘cosmetic exercise’ when they file their statements on their assets and liabilities each year.

Under section 42 of the Representation of Peoples Act, every member of the Senate, National Assembly and provincial assemblies has to file the details of his or her assets by September 30 every year. However, the law is flouted by many lawmakers at will as existing provisions prescribe no mechanism to take concrete action against those who fail to comply.

The only action prescribed in the law is to have the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) inform the speakers of respective assemblies and ask them to stop members who did not file their asset details from taking part in proceedings. This bar is lifted immediately once the member files the statement at any time.



Over 200 members of assemblies had not filed their asset details when the ECP issued a notification on October 15. As of November 8 (Saturday), 19 lawmakers – three members of the National Assembly and eight each of the Punjab and Sindh assemblies – still have to file their statements on assets.

Talking to The Express Tribune, ECP officials said lawmakers have never taken the existing law seriously due to loopholes.

“When we issue suspension notifications, many legislators ask us for a copy of asset statements they filed the previous year, make minor changes in the new form, and submit that to us,” one official in the relevant ECP department said.

According to the officials, ECP’s proposed reforms package includes several amendments in existing laws and contains a separate portion on ‘political finance’ to improve the mechanism. The package is currently being reviewed by the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms.

One of the changes to existing laws proposed by the ECP will see any lawmaker who fails to file a statement on assets by September 30 suspended for at least two months October 1 onwards. Such an assembly member will not be allowed to function as a lawmaker and take part in voting during the period of suspension.

ECP has also proposed enlisting the help of investigation agencies to verify whether lawmakers have shown their real assets or not – currently, the commission only publishes the statements of members without going through any verification exercise. In addition to this, ECP has proposed the induction of a ‘political finance wing’ under a grade 20 officer to act as a ‘mini National Accountability Bureau’, officials said.

Any lawmaker found guilty of lying about his or her assets will be punished under the corrupt practices section of the proposed law. Such a lawmaker could face up to three years jail time and a fine of Rs100,000. A convicted legislator will also be barred from contesting elections for five years from the date his or her prison sentence ends.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2014.