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Senate Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has raised serious concerns over performance of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and said that there is a need of capacity building of ECP. The ECP said that it does not enjoy any powers to give incentive and allowance to its employees and even the Finance Ministry rejected its summary for financial support.
The committee met with Senator Saeed Ghani in the chair at Parliament House on Monday. The committee discussed the issues related to ECP performance and its preparations regarding forthcoming general elections. The members of the committee said that the ECP failed in making proper arrangements for Local Bodies' (LB) polls and even some polling stations were changed just one day ahead of polling. They said that there is a need to enhance the capacity building of the ECP.
Committee Chairman Senator Saeed Ghani said that there are also complaints that many votes were transferred from one constituency to another before holding elections. He said that the ECP should complete their preparation before announcing schedule of the election. He said the ECP had formulated the election code of conduct without taking political parties into confidence. The ECP secretary said that recruitment in ECP should be made through the examination of Public Services Commission. While admitting the poor performance of the ECP, the secretary said that it was also exposed that at some places, the brothers of candidates were appointed as Returning Officers but the ECP was not aware of it.
He said the ECP sent a summary for the allowance and salaries of the employees to the Finance Ministry but it was rejected. He said that most of the offices of ECP at district level are in poor condition. He said that almost all offices have been set up in rented building.
Senator Farhatullah Babar said that it should not be made compulsory to appoint retired judges as members of ECP and Chief Election Commissioner, adding other people of good reputation should be appointed. The members also suggested that the expenditures for a candidate on campaign of election should be enhanced from Rs 1.5 million to Rs 3 million. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed said that there is a need of reforms in the ECP and for evolving proper mechanism for conducting elections. He also said a lot of votes were transferred from district Attock to Hazra and vice versa. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed and the Secretary ECP also attended the meeting.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2015

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