Apr 07 , 2015
News
By-election in NA-246 : PILDAT demands effective role of ECP to ensure credibility
ISLAMABAD: In view of the disturbing news of violence emanating from the pre-election process in NA-246 (Karachi-VIII), PILDAT has demanded that the chief election commissioner and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) ensure a violence-free, credible, transparent and fair election in the constituency. “This is the first major by-election to be conducted by the ECP after the appointment of the new chief election commissioner and the ECP secretary. It is, therefore, a test case of their as well as the ECP’s capacities and their ability to effectively utilise the powers of the ECP in conducting a free and fair election,” said a PILDAT statement. The statement further said that if the provincial government or the security agencies are not cooperating with the ECP to ensure a violence-free election, it is the responsibility of the ECP to use its powers to act decisively. The public confidence in the effectiveness of the ECP is at a record low as an overwhelming majority of Pakistanis, 85%, believe that it is critical that ECP’s functions need to be reformed and reconfigured, it said. If the ECP, under its new leadership, does not display an effective control and conduct of by-election in NA-246 (Karachi VIII), it will become very difficult to win public confidence in the ability of the ECP to ensure a free, fair and credible general election in 2018, said the statement by PILDAT.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk