ECP forms monitoring teams for by-elections

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has formed monitoring teams for the upcoming by-elections on Oct 14.

According to the details, a total of 27 teams will monitor the by-elections. The teams will be deployed to their assigned constituencies’ couple of days before the polls and they will stay till the results are announced.

The voting for 36 seats – 11 of the National Assembly and 25 of the provincial assemblies – will be held on October 14. A total of 380 candidates are in the run in the by-elections. As many as 112 candidates will vie for 11 seats of the National Assembly and 268 for 26 seats of the provincial assemblies.

In addition, the teams will examine the distribution of polling equipment, training of the polling staff and also review security arrangements on the day of elections.

The result transmission system (RTS) and votes of the overseas Pakistanis will be closely monitored by the teams in addition to arrange and compilation of results.

A number of the National and provincial assemblies’ seats fell vacant after political leaders who had won more than one seats in last month’s elections resigned from all seats but one.

There are also a few constituencies of the lower house of parliament as well as the provincial legislatures where the election couldn’t be held on July 25 owing to the demise of candidates or some other reasons.