ECP monitoring election campaigns and expenditures

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Thursday that it would closely monitor election campaigns and electoral expenditures while effectively enforcing the code of conduct for the upcoming elections.

According to Dawn.com, the code of conduct is set to be finalised in consultation with various political parties.

The reports said that ECP stated that everything was ready, and they will get help from the army, police, and other law agencies to keep the elections peaceful.

However, the announcement came during consultative meetings with the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid e Azam (PML-Q), aimed at discussing the roadmap for the elections, which are expected to take place by mid-February.

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Meanwhile, the consultations, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, were attended by ECP officials and prominent figures from both the TLP and PML-Q parties. The TLP delegation included Chaudhry Rizwan, Mohammad Qasim, Ziaur Rahman, and Chaudhry Azhar, while the PML-Q was represented by Moha¬mmad Tariq Hussain, Farukh Khan, Ghulam Mustafa, Rizwan Sadiq, and Hafiz Aqeel Jalil.

The PML-Q delegates expressed their support for the ECP’s decision to conduct fresh delimitation of constituencies prior to the elections. Party leaders stressed the importance of this delimitation following the official notification of final census results to ensure a fair process.

During the discussions, TLP leaders referred to the local government elections in Islamabad, highlighting concerns about the expansion of union councils. They viewed this move as an attempt to evade elections and recommended that such authority to make last-minute amendments to local government laws should not lie with respective governments.

The TLP leaders proposed empowering union councils for improved grassroots governance. They also emphasised the need for accurate voter lists by removing names of deceased individuals and suggested that election matters should not be managed by judiciary-appointed returning officers.

Both parties expressed confidence in the Election Commission’s capabilities and its commitment to transparent elections. CEC reaffirmed the ECP’s dedication to transparent delimitation and ensuring fair elections.

CEC Raja underscored the requirement, as per Article 140-A of the Constitution, for the ECP to conduct polls in accordance with local government laws. He acknowledged government interventions in local government polls, leading to changes in the LG law after ECP’s poll arrangements were in place, citing the example of Islamabad’s local government polls.

He informed that the ECP was actively removing deceased and duplicate voters from electoral rolls in collaboration with Nadra and union councils, an ongoing process.

Raja added that political parties would be consulted on the election code, and a draft would be shared with them before formal consultations for their input.

Meanwhile, former Senate chairman and PPP leader Mian Raza Rabbani criticised diplomats individually meeting the CEC, deeming it inappropriate as the ECP had entered the election mode following the National Assembly’s dissolution. He also deemed it incorrect for diplomats in Islamabad to frequently comment on the timing and transparency of the elections.