News
Saturday, June 09, 2012
SC orders ECP to devise plan for free and fair elections
* 87-page verdict asks ECP to revise electoral rolls by engaging army and FC
* Bans use of private transport by candidates and establishment of candidates’ camps
By Hasnaat Malik
ISLAMABAD: Announcing an 87-page judgement on a petition seeking reduction in expenditures in elections, the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to devise a strategy for free and fair elections in the country.
“We direct the Election Commission to frame rules and issue instructions to provide legal sanction to these measures and implement the same to achieve the ultimate objective of fair, free, just and honest election,” the court said in its order.
A three-member SC bench announced the verdict against a petition filed by Workers Party Pakistan (WPP) President Abid Hassan Minto who had challenged election campaigns expenses regulations.
Eight major political parties of the country had participated in the court’s proceedings in the case but the PPP did not take part in the case.
The court has declared that in the existing ‘First Past the Post’ (FPTP) system of election violates the principle of majority. “The Election Commission may explore ways and means to introduce appropriate system of election including ‘run off election’ and ‘none of the above options’, in light of the discussion made hereinabove, to ensure true representation of the people and rule of the majority.”
It may be noted that according to FPTP system of election, the candidate securing the highest number of votes is the winner.
In its 87-page judgement, the SC ruled that in order to achieve the goal of fair and free elections, the ECP should prepare/revise electoral roll immediately through credible and independent agencies.
“We direct the ECP to undertake door-to-door checking of voters’ lists and complete the process of updating/revision of the electoral rolls by engaging army and the Frontier Corps to ensure transparency,” the SC maintained in the verdict.
The verdict held that the ECP must undertake monitoring of the election expenses from the day the holding of election is notified; adding that a candidate must account for all the expenses immediately after the election is over. The ECP was also asked to compose a declaration form expressing the details of new bank account of a candidate exclusively operated for election campaign.
The ECP was directed that it must hold meetings with the candidates and apprise them of the relevant laws/rules, receive from them statements of expenses on weekly basis by engaging election staff and carry out inspection at random at different places. It added that all transactions relating to election expenses should be made through GST-registered firms/persons.
The court directed the ECP to take measures against use of transport by candidates, use of ‘perchis’ and establishment of candidates’ camps near polling stations.Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk