The Election Commission of Pakistan has developed a concrete system of electioneering process monitoring, to fully implement its proposed Code of Conduct(CoC) and introduced number of reforms in the existing election system, to hold election in more vibrant, secure and transparent manner in the country.
Speaking at the Meet-the-Press programme at Peshawar Press Club, the Additional Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Afzal said that the ECP had developed a check and balance system, to monitor and implement its code of conduct during the coming elections.
He further informed the special teams will be formed under the supervision of senior officers to visit every constituency to monitor and record election process. The team, he said, will put its report before the Election Commission of Pakistan, wherever the violation of code of conduct was appeared in the process. He said that Chief Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), former Justice Fakhruddin G Ebrahim was fully committed to conduct free and fair elections.
Regarding the ECP code of conduct for next elections, he said ECP had formulated the new rules and procedure with consultation of all political parties, while the document was fully endorsed. He, however, said the political parties are the major stakeholders, if violated any CoC, would be ultimately faced disqualification from elections under the defined procedure and rules.
About the security arrangements in elections, he said that ECP held a meeting at federal level in which all stakeholders, including heads of law enforcement agencies attended. He said ECP had almost asked for provision adequate security for conducting elections in a peaceful manner in the country.
Referring different reforms in elections system, Afzal said that ECP had made vibrant reforms in the existing electoral set-up, adding that they had completely analysed electioneering system, first from ballot-papers, security, management, transportation, and up to results.
"We would conduct this general elections in benefiting manner as compared to past, because ECP had started reforms process since 2009, under which set 15 different goals and several objectives for conducting transparent and free elections in the country", Afzal remarked. He, however, said that they would further include any point, which could helpful to make the election more vibrant, secure and transparent.
He informed that ECP had removed above three and half crore voters due unverified and duplication in the voter lists. The concept of ghost polling station was also ended, he added. After the reforms in the election system, he said, no one will able to cost fake vote any tempering and other ways.
The ECP, he informed, had prioritised to create maximum awareness about the upcoming elections while keeping in view much significance this year as election is a process not only observed at national, but international level as well. When asked about post proceeding of election misconduct, he informed that the service of retired judges would be hired, and ECP almost confirmed the appointment of more than 11 judges for conducting hearing of daily basis on election litigation matters.
To another query, he replied that more than seven million staffs would be deployed for carrying out election process in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. He further informed the senior officers of Grade-19 will be appointed as presiding and returning officers.
Regarding the participation of women voters in election, he said the ECP had recommended for declaring elections results at polling stations, where women voters turnout remain above 10 percent. But, he said, the recommendation was turned down, and not accepted.
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