Conflict with ECP over contempt notices
THE Prime Minister expressed displeasure over contempt notices of two members of the Cabinet by Election Commission of Pakistan and directed other Cabinet members to stand by them on the matter.
It is interesting to note that Federal Minister Fawad Ch is of the view that he and Azam Swati have not spoken for electoral reforms in their own interest but on behalf of the whole government and it is quite unfortunate that no other PTI leader is standing by the two Ministers on the issue.
On the other part, it is learned that Mr Azam Swati grilled the Director General IT of Election Commission of Pakistan during the meeting with President of Pakistan when Director General of ECP was given briefing about the EVMs.
Background if this episode is that in September, the Election Commission of Pakistan has raised a number of observations to the government unilateral decision for the introduction of EVMs.
Just a couple of days after the observations were raised, Mr Azam Swati accused the ECP of taking bribes and always rigging polls and said such institutions should be set on fire.
A few hours after Azam Swati’s statement, Mr Fawad addressing a presser called the Chief Election Commissioner a mouth piece of the Opposition and alleged that the ECP has turned to be the Opposition Headquarters.
Now it seems that the government appears to have no intention of backing down from its ongoing confrontation with the ECP.
In fact, rather from advising restraint; it is upping the ante and encouraging more members of the Cabinet, MPs of ruling party to join the row.
It’s fact, electoral rigging is a major problem in countries like Pakistan that have comparatively weak oversight mechanism.
It vitiates the political atmosphere, impacts governance and corrodes the democratic system.
However, the manner in which the Prime Minister is addressing electoral reforms; reportedly planning to bulldoze them through a joint session of Parliament, defeats the very purpose of the exercise.
Instead of strengthening democracy, such a bull in a china shop approach will have the opposite effect. All parties to an election must have confidence in measures to make them free and fair.
Only that can result in creditable electoral reforms. The Election Commission of Pakistan is integral to the process.
If the government is so keen on EVMs, all stakeholders must sit together and thrash out the issue even if consensus ultimately eludes them.
But it’s difficult when the Prime Minister refuses to initiate a well intentioned and productive discussion with the opposition parties on the electoral reforms.
Its unlikely by encouraging members of the government to badmouth and discredit the ECP, in this situation the government is making the situation even more worse as the Election Commission is more powerful than government as per Article 204 and 220 along with section 10 of Election Act 2017 in addition to Article 2018 and 226.
An enquiry report exposing those responsible for saga of 20 presiding officers disappearance during the February 2021 by election in Daska has found that election officials and government functionaries acted as puppets in the hands of their unlawful masters.
The inquiry report found that the presiding officers and some officers of the education department were fully involved in jeopardising the free, fair and transparent by-election due to the monetary benefits at different stages could not be ruled out.
—The writer is former Federal Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan and currently Chairman National Democratic Foundation.
