ISLAMABAD: At a time when the conduct of general elections in the country appear nowhere in the near future on account of apparent failure of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure holding timely polls, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has reiterated that the electoral body would continue to play its role for the sustenance, flourishing and strengthening of democracy.

His words came against the backdrop of the International Day of Democracy been observed on Friday. Every effort would be made to include all the people of the society, especially those of the deprived ones, in the electoral process, he said in a statement.

Earlier, on Wednesday, President Dr Arif Alvi wrote a letter to the CEC in which he recommended November 6 as the date for the general polls in the country. However, the CEC has, so far, not responded to the president’s letter.

Also, last month, CEC Raja declined an invitation from President Alvi for a meeting over the issue of choosing a date for general polls, dismissing such a meeting as of “scant consequence,” asserting that the electoral body, not the president, was empowered to pick the general election date under the prevailing circumstances.

“Where the president dissolves the National Assembly, in his discretion, as provided in Article 58(2) read with Article 48(5) of the constitution, then he has to appoint a date for the general elections.

However, if, the assembly is dissolved on the advice of the prime minister, or by afflux of time, as provided in Article 58(1) of the constitution, then the commission understands and believes that the power to appoint a date or dates for elections rests exclusively with the commission,” the CEC stated in a letter written in reply to the president’s invitation letter.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023