General elections: ECP’s recommendations for electoral reforms accepted

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) secretary announced that they are fully ready to hold general elections in the country, ARY News reported on Thursday.

During an informal conversation with journalists outside the ECP headquarters, Omar Hamid Khan said that the commission is fully ready to hold general elections. “Four months will be required for new delimitations if new census results are approved.”

The ECP secretary said that they will make a decision in accordance with the law if new census results are approved by the federal government.

“We forwarded more than 60 recommendations to the electoral reforms committee. Almost all of ECP’s recommendations were accepted by the electoral reforms committee.”

READ: ECP extends deadline for voter registration, transfer

“However, the formal announcement for the acceptance of the recommendations is yet to be made,” the secretary said.

ECP Special Secretary Zafar Iqbal told the media that the commission would hold general elections by October 11 if assemblies are dissolved on August 12.

‘Elections on old census data’

A few days ago, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah asserted that the next general elections, scheduled to be held in 2023, will be based on the last census carried out in 2017.

READ: Next elections to be based on 2017 census: Rana Sanaullah

Speaking to a private news channel, the interior minister said that the government has decided not to notify the latest census and the upcoming elections would be held on the basis of 2017 census.

Rana Sanaullah noted that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) – an ally of the government in the Centre – was unsatisfied with the new digital census as well. “They don’t even accept this new census,” he added.

The minister stressed that there should be consensus on census results and “any decision in haste could lead to a controversial situation” in the country.

DROs, ROs appointments

Yesterday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) moved to the court over the appointment of Returning Officers (ROs) and Deputy Returning Officers (DROs).

READ: Electoral reforms: ‘Consensus reached on Election Act amendments’

According to sources, ECP wrote letters to registrar High Courts for the appointments of Returning Officers (ROs) and Deputy Returning Officers (DROs).

Sources said the ECP urged the judiciary to provide a list of judicial officers for the DROs and ROs candidates to hold transparent elections.

Earlier, the judiciary had declined refused to provide a list of judicial officers to ECP. The commission has already shortlisted the officers from the bureaucracy for the appointment of DROs and ROs.