ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a letter to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, asking for a multi-party parliamentary committee to review the election reforms bill tabled by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government in October 2020.
While sharing the premier’s letter addressed to the National Assembly Speaker in his tweeter on Wednesday, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar said the current corruption ridden system had been exposed so badly in the recent Senate elections and needed an urgent change.
According to the letter, “I would request you to immediately form an inter-party parliamentary committee to discuss these reforms and come to an agreement on how to introduce best practices including the use of technology and introduction of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to strengthen our electoral system and democracy.”
The letter further described as, “I would also suggest a definitive time frame for reaching agreement on all these issues that marred the transparency of our elections so that enough time is given to institute the reforms before the next general elections.”
“It is in the interest of democracy in Pakistan to establish a credible and transparent electoral system and put an end to all venues that allow for corrupt practices that are eroding our parliamentary democracy,” he maintained.
The Prime Minister said in the letter that money was again abused in the recent Senate election. “I spoke of electoral reforms for transparent elections at all levels and my party demanded open voting in the Senate election,” he added.
Imran Khan said the government brought the bill in the National Assembly and also went to the Supreme Court, which directed to make the elections transparent but unfortunately the Election Commission failed to fulfil its responsibility.
“Transparency of the vote is essential for democracy, and reforms are needed to curb corrupt practices,” he wrote in the letter.
Earlier, the PTI government has tabled a bill regarding electoral reforms following the federal cabinet’s approval last year, proposes to bring a radical change in the electoral process of electing Senate members.
It seeks to discourage horse-trading and manipulation; gives full mandate to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to facilitate overseas Pakistanis for exercising their right to vote; makes it mandatory to take oath within 60 days and enhances punishment for tampering with ballot paper.
Apart from the main suggestion of holding the Senate elections through an open vote instead of the current method of secret ballot, the PTI government had proposed to insert a new section – 213A (political parties to hold annual conventions).
This section will bind the political parties “to hold regular conventions and submit its report to the commission mentioning therein at least top ten problems of the country, reasons and solutions thereof, in view of the majority members of the party.”
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021