The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) has called for significant reforms to the election-related provisions of the 1973 Constitution to bring meaningful improvement in the administration and quality of future elections in the country.
The existing constitutional, legal and administrative system for conducting elections does not meet the internationally accepted standards of electoral freedom, fairness, neutrality and transparency. The system needs comprehensive reforms to enhance the quality of future elections as a prerequisite for democracy to take firm roots.
However, any amendment to the election-related articles of the Constitution must aim at enhancing public confidence in the election system and process, which is critical to strengthening democracy in the country. Fafen has prepared a detailed proposal for the consideration of Parliament, which is set to take up the package of constitutional amendments being finalised by the Constitutional Reforms Committee headed by Senator Raza Rabbani. Fafen has already shared these proposals with the Election Commission of Pakistan, the now-inactive National Assembly Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, and a select group of parliamentarians.
The primary objective of Fafen's proposals is to enhance the independence and effectiveness of the Election Commission in ensuring the conduct of elections in line with the internationally accepted standards of electoral freedom, fairness, neutrality and transparency. To this end, Fafen proposals seek constitutional guarantees to insulate election administration from executive interference, empower the Election Commission to exercise complete control over all aspects of the election process and to take prompt action in cases of interference by any executive institutions or officials.
Moreover, Fafen has proposed amendments to the qualification, appointment procedure, and tenure of the Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners. Fafen also has proposed increasing the membership of the Election Commission from four provincial members to six members, adding one representative each of the Islamabad Capital Territory and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, requiring that one member of the Election Commission be a woman.-PR