Dubious delays: Opposition pushes ECP, govt for LG results

Says interval between polls and results indicates mass rigging

PESHAWAR:

The delay in officially announcing local government election results is strengthening the belief of opposition parties that massive rigging took place during the polls. Members of opposition parties on Monday cast doubts over the authenticity of results, and held both the government and the Election Commission responsible for the delay.

The government’s failure to form a judicial commission to investigate mismanagement was noted as a cause for concern. Opposition parties instead accused the government of pressurising returning and deputy returning officers to write to ECP in its support.

D for delay

“It definitely creates doubts and the relevant authority (ECP) must explain why the results have not been notified,” asserted Qaumi Watan Party Provincial President Sikandar Hayat Sherpao. The ECP has also failed to make public the reports of ROs regarding irregularities and explain the delay in the announcement of results.



As per the commission’s announcement, the ROs were directed to submit their final reports on June 7 and results were expected to be announced the same day. However, the commission later announced that a notification in this regard would be issued on June 12. Almost two weeks have passed but no notification was issued and the ECP did not explain the delay.

Rigging

Thousands of candidates and people have been waiting to file complaints against rigging in their union councils.

“There was pre and post poll rigging as the whole process was a mess, while the delay in official results only complicates things further,” Sherpao said.

He demanded the government outline when it would convince opposition parties to attend the All Parties Conference and constitute a judicial commission for election reforms.

Opposition from the treasury

“We all wonder why the results have not been announced so far. Data from ROs and DROs can be collected within two or three days, but spending weeks on the matter is really shocking,” said Jamaat-e-Islami leader Dr Muhammad Iqbal Khalil. He maintained the ECP should have explained the reason behind such a delay, “There can be no excuse to justify it.”

He pointed out UCs where polling was considered fair and transparent had already been separated from those deemed rigged.

He said the local government set-up at the district and tehsil level could not be formed unless ECP announced the official results.

When contacted, ECP K-P Spokesperson Sohail Ahmad said there were around 41,000 contestants in the LG elections.

“We have been working on finalising the results. We are simply trying to avoid any overlap and ensure accuracy in the final results,” he added.

He revealed ECP was examining the reports submitted by ROs and DROs to determine the events at polling stations and identify the elements causing a delay in the timely announcement of results.

Ahmed said a notification would be issued in this regard within a couple of days.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2015.