Elections the best Pakistan has ever had: observer | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Elections the best Pakistan has ever had: observer

ISLAMABAD: Thomas George Houlahan, a senior fellow with Center for Security and Science, on Washington said the elections were the “best Pakistan has ever had”.

Speaking at a function held to launch the final report of Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), he said the recent elections were even better than those held in western countries. Houlahan said the presence of local and international observers and the monitoring by media contributed towards transparent elections. “Due to the steps taken by President Pervez Musharraf and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the elections were held fairly. Now it is up to the new government to take the country to the path of progress and prosperity,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, ECP Secretary Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad said the country needed reforms in electoral laws to keep nazims away from influencing the electoral process, especially during the conduct of polls. He said Pakistan had sped up reform process in the electoral laws with the help of civil society organizations, political parties, bar council and the media, as had been done in India and Bangladesh.

Dilshad said the media had played a crucial and positive role and the recent elections would bring the country on a par with the “first world” democracies.“The election has laid the foundation for a true and strong democracy in the country. This would help make the country a progressive, democratic and prosperous state,” he said.

CMD Chairman Ayub Munir urged the ECP and the judiciary to take appropriate and immediate action on all the complaints lodged by the loosing candidates with substantial proof of alleged irregularities in the polling process.The CMD in its election report asked the ECP to update voters’ lists in coordination with the NADRA.
Source: Daily Times
Date:2/28/2008