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EC to monitor election expenditures: SC
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) has issued order on a petition moved by Watan Party chairman Barrister Zafarullah Khan regarding election expenses and directed the Election Commission (EC) to monitor all the expenses during the elections, Geo News reported Friday.A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heard the constitutional petition, seeking limited expenditures by the political parties during the elections. Other members of the bench comprised Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez.
The court, in its order, stated that every political party has the right to take part in elections and to try to become part of the government under Article 17. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the EC to make sure that the parties strictly follow the election rules as it has the constitutional mandate to do so.
For the sake of democracy, it is pertinent that every candidate should get a chance to take part in elections as every elected representative comes to power through democratic process.
The SC directed the commission to monitor the expenses incurred during election campaigns and should meet with the candidates. The court further instructed it to mobilize its staff to monitor expenditures at different places.
In its judgement, the apex court also instructed the EC to introduce computerized balloting.
The candidates should submit the transport expense details for bringing voters from their homes while the services of Army and FC can be obtained in order to verify voters’ lists.
It was also added in the verdict that the polling stations should not be more than 2 kilometres away from the voters’ residences and that EC should ensure that every voter uses his voting right according to his will.
Federal employees and employees of independent institutions should be deployed as polling staff instead of provincial employees, the order said.
Courtesy www.geo.tv