Cycle of delays: Waiting game reigns supreme as voting remains slow

Woman dies due of suffocation as polling stations sans ventilation, cooling.

SHABQADAR/ SWAT/ PESHAWAR: Although voters came out in droves across the province to participate in local bodies’ elections, many were caught unawares by the slow pace of voting and enormous amounts of paperwork. As a result, many people had to suffer countless delays and found themselves at the receiving end of mismanagement at polling stations.

Clock’s ticking

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a large number of voters in Town-II of the provincial capital complained it was taking people between five to six minutes each to cast their votes. However, presiding officers (PO) at a polling station in Passani feared polling would not be completed by 5pm as it was taking voters between 12 to 15 minutes each to vote.

“Many of the voters are uneducated and are finding it difficult to understand electoral symbols,” said one of the POs.

Shakeel Ahmed, a PO at Government Primary School Pakha Ghulam told The Express Tribune, 200 votes had been processed by 2pm. That comes to roughly 33 voters per hour. “At least 1,200 voters are registered at this station,” he said. If all were to show up, they would need over 24 hours to complete voting.

“Nonetheless, polling went smoothly at the polling station.”

Mumba Ali Khan, another PO in the same locality, said only 40% voters exercised their right of vote due to the lengthy process. “Most of voters were not aware of the overall process.”

Pakistan Peoples Party district president Zulfiqar Afghani, who visited a polling station in Gulbahar, said ballot papers only had election symbols rather than names of candidates, causing problems for voters.

Shafiullah, a local elder from Kanju, Swat, said efforts are being made to organise a protest against the lengthy polling process. In Charsadda, many voters were dissatisfied by the electoral process. Yar Qand, a 60-year-old man who has voted in previous LG polls, said delays were caused by a lack of information.

Overpowering heat

A woman suffocated to death at a polling station in Bahadur Kalay, Peshawar. According to insiders, Akhtara Bibi, a resident of Malak Kalay and a heart patient, had gone to vote at Government Girls Primary School Malak Sher and fell unconscious. She was rushed to a hospital but died on the way.

Polling staff told The Express Tribune there were no fans at stations and many voters had to stand in long queues in the scorching heat. Overcrowding was witnessed as a large number of polling agents, candidates and voters flocked to stations in Dalazak Road, Ring Road and Charsadda Road.

A majority of polling stations were also set up at small schools and government buildings which either lacked basic facilities or had limited space to accommodate a large number of voters.

Absenteeism

A polling booth at a government boys school in Payo Kalay was non-functional for over an hour. Polling staff and an assistant presiding officer remained absent during this period.

Tariq Zubair, a presiding officer at Payo Kalay, complained of shortage of staff where one assistant presiding officer and four naib qasids were absent from duty.

Younas, a PO at a government-run primary school in Passani said three of his assistant presiding officers were absent.

The lines never end

Many voters were standing in long queues outside polling stations for a  little over an hour to cast their votes.

Hamaish Gul, a resident of Qazi Kalay, told The Express Tribune, he waited for 30 minutes to reach the gate of his polling station.

“I have voted before but this time the turnout was high and the process was very slow,” he added.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31^st, 2015.