ECP invites parties to sort out thorny issues
ECP invites parties to sort out thorny issues
By Mumtaz Alvi
Sunday, February 20, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has invited heads and secretaries general of all the major political parties for a consultative session on February 22 (Tuesday) to take up with them the puzzling issue of election symbols, delimitation of constituencies and fulfilling requirements of Article-62.
Delimitation is long overdue that is done after the national census. Some political parties, including Awami National Party (ANP), have been complaining about what they billed as marginalisation of their voters. ANP Sindh President Shahi Syed while talking to The News claimed that their population in Karachi was over 5 million, but they had only two legislators in the provincial assembly.
ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmed Khan has written invitation letters to key figures of political parties to ensure their presence and input in the upcoming meeting, the third of its nature, as the electoral body eyes making the next local bodies and general election, as much transparent and free as possible.
The ECP will share progress so far made on the decisions of previous meetings in achieving major objectives essential for conducting credible elections and obtain valuable views and feedback of the participants on other related issues.
The secretary said that the ECP would hold an EVM demonstration on February 23 (Wednesday), wherein, national and international vendors, suppliers and institutions would take part and demonstrate their Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) prototypes before the EVM Committee and leaders of political parties to finalise this matter for enhancing the public trust and improving credibility of electoral process. When approached, ECP Spokesman Muhammad Afzal Khan told The News that the proposed session with political parties was extremely important, as some very crucial matters were to be discussed prior to proposing legislative business.
The electoral body has as many as 146 approved election symbols, which include some having deceiving similarity such as apple and football, pencil and arrow, book and matchbox and sparrow and parrot.
On the day of voting, such symbols prove to be puzzling and confusing for many voters, costing political rivals heavily at times. About Article-62, he said that during the previous session early last year, a proposal to make political parties accountable and responsible for allotting tickets to only honest and upright persons was floated. He added the ECP would like to take decisions on such critical issues and would like party heads and secretaries general to take part in the Tuesdays session.
ECP invites parties to sort out thorny issues
By Mumtaz Alvi
Sunday, February 20, 2011
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has invited heads and secretaries general of all the major political parties for a consultative session on February 22 (Tuesday) to take up with them the puzzling issue of election symbols, delimitation of constituencies and fulfilling requirements of Article-62.
Delimitation is long overdue that is done after the national census. Some political parties, including Awami National Party (ANP), have been complaining about what they billed as marginalisation of their voters. ANP Sindh President Shahi Syed while talking to The News claimed that their population in Karachi was over 5 million, but they had only two legislators in the provincial assembly.
ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmed Khan has written invitation letters to key figures of political parties to ensure their presence and input in the upcoming meeting, the third of its nature, as the electoral body eyes making the next local bodies and general election, as much transparent and free as possible.
The ECP will share progress so far made on the decisions of previous meetings in achieving major objectives essential for conducting credible elections and obtain valuable views and feedback of the participants on other related issues.
The secretary said that the ECP would hold an EVM demonstration on February 23 (Wednesday), wherein, national and international vendors, suppliers and institutions would take part and demonstrate their Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) prototypes before the EVM Committee and leaders of political parties to finalise this matter for enhancing the public trust and improving credibility of electoral process. When approached, ECP Spokesman Muhammad Afzal Khan told The News that the proposed session with political parties was extremely important, as some very crucial matters were to be discussed prior to proposing legislative business.
The electoral body has as many as 146 approved election symbols, which include some having deceiving similarity such as apple and football, pencil and arrow, book and matchbox and sparrow and parrot.
On the day of voting, such symbols prove to be puzzling and confusing for many voters, costing political rivals heavily at times. About Article-62, he said that during the previous session early last year, a proposal to make political parties accountable and responsible for allotting tickets to only honest and upright persons was floated. He added the ECP would like to take decisions on such critical issues and would like party heads and secretaries general to take part in the Tuesdays session.
