ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has amended the electoral rules – making it mandatory for every polling agent to be a voter of the respective constituency of any assembly where an election is taking place on a general seat.
In this context, the electoral body recently notified the insertion of an additional provision in Rule 58 of the Election Rules, 2017.
This rule states, “Appointment of polling agents — the number of polling agents appointed at a polling station by each contesting candidate under Section 77 shall not exceed the number of booths set up at that polling station.”
The new provision inserted by the ECP, after the existing provision, reads, “Provided that the polling agent or agents so appointed under Section 77 shall be the voter of the constituency.”
Section 77 (1) of the Elections Act 2017 provides that the contesting candidate or his election agent may, before the commencement of or during the poll, appoint for each polling station as many polling agents as may be prescribed and shall give notice in writing to the presiding officer communicating the appointment.
Section 239 of the Elections Act 239 empowers the ECP to make rules.
“Power to make rules — (1) The commission may, by notification in the official gazette and publication on the website of the commission, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this act. (2) The commission shall make the rules under Subsection (1) subject to prior publication and after hearing and deciding objections or suggestions filed within fifteen days of the publication,” this section reads.
The ECP has also amended the affidavit that is required to be submitted by the candidates of the assemblies/ Senate elections.
The amendment made in part D of the affidavit makes it mandatory for candidates to provide the details of their spouses and dependent children—name, date of birth, computerised national identity card (CNIC) number, and relation with the candidate.
Given that the ECP made these amendments on December 9, the deadline to file objections/ suggestions to the amendments regarding the polling agents and the affidavit is December 24.
In October this year, the ECP amended the electoral rules to authorise its officers to issue contempt notices to the alleged “contemnors.”
The electoral entity also empowered itself to grant bail to persons arrested on the charges of the ECP contempt.
The development surfaced at the time when ECP was faced with strong criticism from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on different electoral issues.
The poll body initiated contempt proceedings against Chairman PTI Imran Khan, Secretary General PTI Asad Umar and Vice President PTI Fawad Chaudhry on August 19 this year.
The PTI stalwarts have minced no words to take on the ECP and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja on different occasions.
Addressing public rallies in recent months, the PTI chief has alleged that the incumbent CEC is “biased” against the PTI and is allegedly supporting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The former federal ruling party has moved the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) for the removal of CEC.
The hearing of the contempt cases against Khan, Umar, and Chaudhry was scheduled today (Tuesday) but the ECP revised the hearing schedule from December 13 to December 20 citing the unavailability of the bench members.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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