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ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ebrahim has said that the deteriorating law and order situation will not be a hurdle in conducting the next general elections.
Talking to this correspondent on Saturday, the CEC said the law and order problem persists in Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Fata but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would not make it an excuse for holding off the polls.
Justice Ebrahim said the ECP would act in compliance with the Supreme Court orders regarding delimitations in Karachi, and concerns of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and other parties would be addressed. He said there would be no big change in delimitations in Karachi, as the delimitation of district Malir would not be a big issue. He said that the MQM’s reservations regarding delimitations are based on a misconception.
He said all the essentials of conducting transparent polls will be kept in consideration and all the political parties will be taken into confidence. He said everyone should keep in mind that the next general elections would be conducted in a new atmosphere, and political parties, the ECP and Supreme Court would comprise the stakeholders. All the stakeholders would be taken along, he added.
CEC Ebrahim suggested that civil society should form a “citizens’ group” to ensure the free, fair and transparent conduct of elections. He said the political parties should point out lacunas in the process of electioneering so that these could be removed by the ECP.
He said new computerised voter’s lists are ready and registration of new voters would continue till the announcement of the polls’ schedule.
The CEC said a consultative meeting of the ECP would be held with the political parties in the current month in which the parties would be apprised of the preparations for holding the next elections, which would be finalised after incorporating their suggestions.
Justice Ebrahim said this time the number of educated voters would be higher, as 30 million youths have registered their votes. He said the ECP has targeted a turnout of 65 percent which is 20 percent more compared to past turnouts.
He said that number of polling stations is being increased to facilitate voters, and the stations would be made near the homes of people to boost the turnout.
The CEC said that by-polls are being conducted in nine Punjab and Sindh constituencies on Tuesday (December 4), and the entire polling staff of one constituency has been changed on the complaints of political parties.
Talking to this correspondent on Saturday, the CEC said the law and order problem persists in Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Fata but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would not make it an excuse for holding off the polls.
Justice Ebrahim said the ECP would act in compliance with the Supreme Court orders regarding delimitations in Karachi, and concerns of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Awami National Party (ANP) and other parties would be addressed. He said there would be no big change in delimitations in Karachi, as the delimitation of district Malir would not be a big issue. He said that the MQM’s reservations regarding delimitations are based on a misconception.
He said all the essentials of conducting transparent polls will be kept in consideration and all the political parties will be taken into confidence. He said everyone should keep in mind that the next general elections would be conducted in a new atmosphere, and political parties, the ECP and Supreme Court would comprise the stakeholders. All the stakeholders would be taken along, he added.
CEC Ebrahim suggested that civil society should form a “citizens’ group” to ensure the free, fair and transparent conduct of elections. He said the political parties should point out lacunas in the process of electioneering so that these could be removed by the ECP.
He said new computerised voter’s lists are ready and registration of new voters would continue till the announcement of the polls’ schedule.
The CEC said a consultative meeting of the ECP would be held with the political parties in the current month in which the parties would be apprised of the preparations for holding the next elections, which would be finalised after incorporating their suggestions.
Justice Ebrahim said this time the number of educated voters would be higher, as 30 million youths have registered their votes. He said the ECP has targeted a turnout of 65 percent which is 20 percent more compared to past turnouts.
He said that number of polling stations is being increased to facilitate voters, and the stations would be made near the homes of people to boost the turnout.
The CEC said that by-polls are being conducted in nine Punjab and Sindh constituencies on Tuesday (December 4), and the entire polling staff of one constituency has been changed on the complaints of political parties.
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