A delegation of the European Union has said that the people of Pakistan will ultimately determine the credibility and legitimacy of the election process. The delegation was expressing its opinion while discussing allegations of rigging in the general election 2013.
"The European Union election observers' mission enjoyed freedom of access to all political parties, candidates, representatives from civil society and voters, as well as bodies and meetings of the electoral administration and to all relevant information on the electoral process," the European Union Mission stated. "It is the people of a country who ultimately determine the credibility and legitimacy of an election process." In an 89-page report on the polls, the EU observers said: "A strong democratic commitment was demonstrated in the 2013 elections by the state authorities of Pakistan, civil society, political parties and voters."
However, the EU Election Observer Mission has included 50 recommendations for electoral reforms in Pakistan after observing the polls last year. In these recommendations, 17 are considered to require changes in the primary legislation and seven assessed to require constitutional changes. The mission in its report recommended that the ECP fully implement its five-year strategic plan. Data obtained reveals that more than 50,000 domestic independent observers of 70 organisations and 542 international observers of 27 organisations monitored the 2013 elections.
Over 275 international journalists from 117 international media organisations and 5,000 local journalists also covered these elections, official data further revealed. Even so, many political leaders, particularly Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Imran Khan say that the incumbent parliament is the result of fraudulent polls. PILDAT and FAFEN weigh in "Pakistan witnessed the best elections in its history last year," said Executive Director of Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) Ahmed Bilal Mehboob. He felt international observers enjoyed "too much freedom" while covering the elections here and were fully accommodated by the ECP. "We did not receive any complaints from observers," he said. PILDAT did not find evidence of "any centrally systematic plan to rig last year's elections" either, he said.
The Free and Fair Election Network deputed more than 40,000 observers during the elections, claimed Chief Executive Officer Muddassir Rizvi. He endorsed Ahmed Bilal Mehboob's claim, saying, "Observers operated independently to monitor these elections and despite militant attacks, the country ratified fair elections as compared with its previous elections". Muddassir recommended a more fair and systematic mechanism for the electoral process though.
The ECP's stance: "These were the best polls in Pakistan's history," insists ECP secretary Ishtiaq Ahmed Khan. International observers were welcomed to the country after the Foreign Office and the Interior Ministry confirmed their security. Large scale reforms were introduced, following recommendations of national and international organisations, he said and the ECP implemented 80 per cent of objectives under a strategic 2010-2014 plan. However, the ECP secretary admitted: "There is always room for improvement." Thus 400 recommendations prepared by national and international organisations have also been handed over to the special electoral reforms' committee, Khan said.
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