We have not opposed EVMs or voting right of overseas Pakistanis but there should be a method for this: CEC Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja
ISLAMABAD, Dec 07, (SABAH): Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja says steps have been taken to ensure transparency in the elections.
Addressing an event in Islamabad on Wednesday in connection with National Voters Day, Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja said action has also been taken against those elements who tried to resort to lawlessness and irregularities during the electoral process. He said as a result of these steps, the confidence of people on elections, democratic process and the election commission has increased.
The Chief Election Commissioner said an effort has also been made to ensure implementation of election code of conduct by taking across the board action against its violators.
Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja said the election commission supports the use of technology in the electoral process. But the technology should be such on which all the stakeholders have consensus, people can easily exercise their right to franchise and secrecy of vote could be ensured.
He said we have not opposed the EVMs or the voting right of overseas Pakistanis but there should be a method for this. He said we cannot make the general elections controversial in any haste.
Describing the local bodies as the most important one, Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja said his institution is serious in their conduct.
He said the process of local government elections has been completed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Local government elections in the federal capital will be held on the 31st December while the second phase of local bodies elections in Sindh will be held on 15th of next month. He said polling for the local bodies in the flood affected areas of Balochistan will be held on Sunday.
The Chief Election Commissioner said we are also ready for the local government elections in Punjab and these will be held in the last week of April.
Dr. Sikander Sultan Raja said the Election Commission of Pakistan faced “unwarranted criticism” for allegedly opposing the use of electronic voting machines and balloting rights for overseas Pakistanis, saying the electoral watchdog was never opposed to them as was “widely propagated”.
“I challenge all critics to show one instance where the ECP opposed electronic voting machines or voting rights for overseas Pakistanis, but there should be a procedure,” he said during his address in Islamabad, while insisting one should avoid raising slogans in favour of EVMs without considering the overall mechanism that would eventually make the entire election process “suspicious”.
He said local government elections in Punjab will take place in the last week of April. “We are conducting de-limitations again and the provincial government has been asked to ensure polls are held by the stipulated time.”
Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja said the ECP had already informed the Punjab government that the commission would make use of previous laws under Article 283 of the Constitution, if the administration attempted to again amend the local government law.
He underlined that the commission was in support of the use of technology in elections, saying, however, it must be backed by all stakeholders.
He elaborated that by-elections on 17 National Assembly seats and 34 Punjab Assembly elections were held in 2020-21 and 2021-22. “Of them, 35 by-polls were won by then opposition and 16 by the government, which proves the transparency of the electoral process,” he added.
The ECP chief blamed the Punjab government for delay in LG polls due to repeated changes in laws. “We need at least three to four months for delimitations.”
Dr. Sikandar Sultan Raja said the ECP was also not provided funds at the time of [by-elections], adding some funds were released later while many of them were still in the pipeline. He emphasised that the local government polls held the utmost importance in the country.
He said the federal government had been conveyed that the ECP needed seven to eight months for delimitations. “We are confident once the census is completed to the core, we will be ready to hold general elections.”