'More than 100 percent turnout' Fafen's report not based on facts: ECP official

Anxiety continues to dog political workers of different political parties with respect to rigging allegations by several losing candidates in general elections 2013 with street protests affecting parts of major cities, including Karachi and Lahore.
An official of the ECP told Business Recorder that the report released by Free and Fair Election Network, which stated that the voters turnout was more than 100 percent at least 49 polling stations out of 8,119 polling stations, was completely inaccurate and not based on facts. He further said that majority of reports released by the Fafen during the general elections 2013 or before the elections were not accurate as the reports were compiled on the basis of random survey which did not give the true picture.
He said that the ECP would post polling station-wise ballot turnout on its web site in the coming days. He said that the ECP is bound to follow the constitution and it is not possible for the Commission to post polling station-wise ballot turnout on the website before certifying the election results.
Though the Fafen withdrew its claim that it had witnessed more than 100 percent voter turnout at 49 polling stations, it is not a good practice to release bogus report which damages the ECP's credibility and creates anxiety amongst the masses, he added.
He maintained that the ECP had worked day and night to ensure transparency in the general elections and was also working vigorously on the complaints lodged by some political parties about irregularities during the polling process at some constituencies. When contacted, Abdul Ahad, Communication Manager in Fafen told Business Recorder that Fafen had withdrawn its earlier statement about 100 percent voter turnout at 49 polling stations. He said that Fafen wanted the ECP to release the polling station-wise data before certifying election results.
About public anger following Fafen report, he had nothing to say except the rhetoric that his organisation withdrew the statement as there some human errors in it. The report released by Fafen had maintained that voter turnout at 49 polling stations was more than 100 percent which included at least 32 polling stations with greater than 100 percent turnout in Punjab, 10 in Sindh, six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one in Balochistan. The polling stations with impossible voter turnout figures included 19 female polling stations, 16 male stations and 14 combined (male and female) stations. The Fafen on the basis of the report had suggested ECP not to include votes from these polling stations in calculations of constituency election results, and should consider re-polling at these stations.