ECP sees 40 percent voters turnout

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Saturday said it anticipates around 40 percent voters turnout in Monday's elections that are being held in a tense atmosphere with the government warning of possible suicide threats.
The election campaign came to an end on Saturday with ECP, dismissing rigging allegations levelled by opposition, claimed to have galvanised all energies for what it called to hold free, fair and credible elections that have drawn forth world attention.
This is for the first time, perhaps, Commonwealth observers will not be in Pakistan when a large number of foreign observers, 818, have thronged Islamabad to monitor most crucial polls which few local and foreign surveys predicted swing in opposition favour, if not manipulated.
ECP Deputy Secretary R B Wahidi said he anticipate 40 percent voters turnout, when a foreign observers asked him about how much voters does he see turning up to polls. He said the turnout in 2002 elections was between 35 to 40 percent and his anticipation was based on previous turnout.
Wahidi said the biggest delegation of observers was, 150 people, from European Union in Islamabad, while a number of diplomats based in Islamabad have also obtained accreditation cards apart from observers from Japan, Democracy International, International Federation for Elections System (IFCS), Sky News, BBC and the US.
The ECP has also issued about 5,000 accreditation cards to home journalists to monitor the elections as observers. Meanwhile, a statement by the ECP said observers delegations from Saarc, United States, Jordan, Liberia, Morocco Japan and from other countries called on ECP Secretary Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, and discussed matters relating to the conduct of Election 2008.
Briefing observers, Dilshad said the government writ was established in the troubled areas to a large extent and there would be no hindrance in holding of elections in a peaceful manner.
"Every possible step will be taken to ensure peaceful polls in the troubled areas and no individual or a group will be allowed to rig the polls, and whoever is found guilty of rigging, will strictly be taken to task" he added.
Secretary said the list of sensitive polling stations was complied by the provincial government in their respective provinces, as ultimately it was their responsibility to maintain law and order. In all, he said 64,176 Polling Stations with 1, 70,000 polling booths have been established all over the country.
For the purpose, 5, 72,000 polling personnel have been appointed by the concerned returning officers. He said votes counting will be undertaken immediately after the close of balloting in the presence of observers and polling agents and carbon copy of the final result will be displayed at the polling while live results of each constituency will be announced by the ECP. The allegations regarding the Postal Ballot Papers were baseless, he added.