The International Observers Group of the Centre for Media and Democracy (CMD) has expressed concern over the reports of violence in different parts of the country prior to the polls and called for immediate measures to ensure law and order situation.
In their first interaction with the media here at a local hotel on Thursday, the group expressed satisfaction over the steps so far taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for conducting free, fair and transparent election on February 18 and hoped that the reforms in the electoral process would make sure that the polls are credible and trustworthy, said a statement issued here.
"We called on the Secretary ECP who briefed the group over the reforms in the electoral procedure. We hope that these reforms would help hold a credible, free and fair election on February 18. There are tools available in the electoral procedures which would help ensure the conduct of free, fair and transparent polls. We are positive that polls would be credible.
We would go to every nook and corner of the country to watch elections and the final report of the CMD International Observer Mission would be submitted in the next week," Thomas George Houlahamn, the Head of Mission quoted as telling to the media.
George Houlahamn, a member of an eminent US think-tank, Center for Security and Science, Washington DC, briefed the media on the objectives of the mission, saying that the international community was concerned on the Pakistani elections credibility and that was the reason that the observers were here to make sure that 'people of Pakistani exercise their right to vote.'
He said that the mission would also hold meetings with the political parties of the country. He said the mission had taken up the findings of CMD Fact-finding missions with the ECP.
He said the CMD observers were concerned that almost all the contesting candidates were violating the ECP code of conduct. He urged the authorities to redress the concerns and grievances of the political parties as well as candidates. He said the authorities had informed the observers that all necessary measures were being taken to make the polls process credible.
The ECP initiative to announce polls result by each returning officer is a welcome step as no ballots can be added once the polling is closed and announcement of results at each polling station would ensure that no ballots are added to the ballot boxes.
"We are here to guarantee a fair polls procedure and not the results. We would visit 13 districts across the country but would maintain a close co-ordination with other visiting observers so as a comprehensive picture of the polls could be submitted after the polls," he added.
Marian Lucas, a Dutch Civil Society activist, said that Pakistani people were cognisant of their rights and issues. He lauded the CMD effort, saying that formation of separate international and national observers group would facilitate the CMD come up with a comprehensive report of the electoral process. She said the observers group was comprised experts with different proficiencies and this would strengthen the election report.
Eric Ellis, a senior Australian journalist based in Indonesia, paid tribute to the national media for raising issues of public concern, saying that Pakistani media was cognizant of their rights and duties.
Sabra Bano, a Dutch national gender issues expert, said that she and her colleague Magdalena De Meyer from Belgium were looking after the participation of women and minorities. We would assess whether both the genders were provided level playing fields to partake in the polls, she said.
CMD Chairman Ayub Munir told the media that the CMD had invited 30 observers and most of those had arrived while the rest of them were on their way to Pakistan. He said the international observers would visit 13 districts, which include Karachi, Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Dadu, Quetta, Peshawar, Abottabad, Charsadda, Mardan, Lahore, Sheikhpura, Nankana Sahib, Rawalpindi and Jehlum.
He said the CMD has constituted an International Election Observer Group to ensure monitoring of the electoral process so as to ensure free, fair and transparent holding of the general elections. The observers group comprises prominent personnel from media, civil society, parliamentarians, and international intelligentsia, he added.
The following observers have arrived here with an objective to monitor the polling process. They would visit different destinations across the country. The observers included head of the observers mission Thomas George Houlahamn from US, Ruth Hopkins UK; Allan Bird, Canada; Godelief Swank, Maria Lucas, Piet Halma and Sabra Bano from Holland, Mailica Bogdanov, Elena Pleskonijic, Susan Jordovic, Milan Tavcar from Serbia, Eric Ellis from Australia, Alexander Semmett and Kirill Chatrov from Canada, Magdalena De Meyer and Mustajab Rao from Belgium and Fahim Alhamid from Saudi Arabia.