Pakistan

Issuing ballot papers: ROs may be stripped of discretionary powers

The panel has been vetting proposals submitted to the main committee headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar

Irfan Ghauri August 19, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD:

The sub-panel of the electoral reforms committee recommended on Tuesday that the returning officers’ discretionary powers vis-à-vis issuing additional ballot papers during elections be withdrawn.

During an in-camera session, the sub-committee headed by MNA Zahid Hamid also proposed that ROs compile election results within 72 hours of the voting’s conclusion.

The panel has been vetting proposals submitted to the main committee headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

The parliamentary committee on electoral reforms was constituted by the National Assembly speaker last August to improve the electoral system of the country.

During the session at the Parliament House, the lawmakers also suggested that presiding and assistant presiding officers also be bound to sign Form XIV and Form XV. Addressing the media, Hamid said his panel had recommended that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) determine the accurate number of ballot papers required for the elections. “The ROs will not enjoy this discretion any more.”

Random publishing of extra ballot papers on ROs’ orders in the 2013 general elections caused a lot of controversy, as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf claimed that the polls were rigged and that the ROs had played an important role in it.

According to a participant of Tuesday’s meeting, the reforms package would empower the ECP to investigate and punish the people involved in casting votes by fraudulent means. The committee also proposed that charges for vote audit by the National Database Registration Authority be increased from Rs2 to Rs50.

Once the sub-panel finalises its recommendations, it will draft a comprehensive package of election reforms. The draft will be presented in parliament for the final approval. Some laws will need support of a simple majority, while changes in the constitutional provisions will need the approval of two-thirds of the members from each of the two houses of parliament.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2015.