Electoral reforms committee recommends judicial powers for ECP

ECP suspends three ROs in K-P; declines the province’s request to take ROs from judiciary

ISLAMABAD: In a move to strengthen the top electoral body, Parliament’s bipartisan panel on electoral reforms has decided to give the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) powers to adjudicate contempt of court proceedings against any official failing to follow its directives.

The parliamentary committee on electoral reforms on Wednesday completed vetting of proposed changes in the Representation of Peoples Act 1976 (ROPA), which stipulates laws related to conducting elections in the country.

Committee chairman Zahid Hamid after panel’s in-camera meeting told reporters that they have also decided to give legal cover to ECP’s powers to use contempt of court against any officials failing to comply with commission’s orders.

Read: Electoral reforms: Parliamentary panel urges fresh census

The ECP though a constitutional organ, said to have powers of a High Court, has always shied away from using such powers and had been a docile institution. It had been blaming lack of clarity in laws for its submissive attitude.

Hamid, a legal expert of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) also said the panel had completed work on ROPA; however it will accommodate the proposals of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) during the second reading.

PTI members attended the first few meetings of the committee when it started its work last year. However, later they were not part of the proceedings as they had submitted their resignations. They resumed work once the party decided to return to Parliament.

Read: Electoral reforms: PTI likely to table bill in NA

The committee comprising members from all the parties represented in Parliament was formed in August 2014. It was supposed to come up within three months a comprehensive package of reforms containing necessary changes in the Constitution and the relevant laws to revamp the electoral system in the country.

ECP suspends three ROs

In another important development, the ECP on Wednesday suspended three returning officers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) for their alleged failure to perform their election duties with honesty.

Taking notice of the complaints it received by its field staff, contestants and general public, the ECP suspended executive engineer PESCO Nowshera Calan, executive engineer SUI Gas Nowshera and executive engineer PESCO Nowshera Cantt who were appointed as ROs for the constituencies falling in these areas for the forthcoming local government elections in K-P.

Read: 33 member electoral reform committee finalised

Further, the ECP summoned the three ROs on April 30 at their headquarters in Islamabad, directing the parent departments of these officials to conduct departmental inquiry against these officials for their misconduct.

It is for the first time in the electoral history of Pakistan that the ECP has taken some punitive action against ROs who are actually in charge of all the aspects of organising elections in a constituency. Local government elections in K-P are scheduled on May 30.

ECP declines K-Ps request for ROs from judiciary

Meanwhile, the election body declined the request of K-P to hold the upcoming LG polls in the province under supervision of judiciary.