CHRE for publication of voters’ list 6 months prior elections
* CHRE managers say electoral rolls should be updated to make them error-free
* Demands govt to ensure that chief election commissioner should be impartial
LAHORE: The Centre for Human Rights Education (CHRE) has demanded the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to ensure publication of computerised voters’ lists at least six months prior to any election, in order to avoid any misconduct or bogus voting.
CHRE managers, namely Samson Salamat, Shafique Dogar, Kanwal Shahid and others, stated this on Wednesday while adding that they also held a meeting with the Punjab Election Commissioner Akhtar Hussain Sabir to discuss these issues prior to the expected local bodies and then upcoming general elections in the country.
CHRE is a human rights organisation, which is specifically working for the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan. It is running a number of training programmes across the country and mostly in the remote areas to make people aware about the benefits of democracy and their rights.
They further stated that the electoral rolls should be updated to make them free from bogus votes and other errors and should not be separated on the basis of religion or ethnicity.
CHRE organisers said that immediate steps are required on part of the ECP to ensure transparency and credibility of the future elections in Pakistan, especially after reports of bogus voting and malpractices during the 2008 elections in the country.
They said that the ECP should initiate advocacy campaigns to make the voters realise the importance of their vote and of their participation in the electoral process. These campaigns must be conducted on priority basis in constituencies with low number of candidates, or feudalist dominance.
The rights organisation further demanded the government to ensure that the chief election commissioner should be impartial and a person of good reputation and should be appointed in consultation with the opposition leader and other stakeholders.
They also said that the ECP, prior to the election, should verify the educational documents of the candidates with the Higher Education Commission and candidate(s) must be disqualified forever for any public office if the documents are found fake.
The ECP in collaboration with NADRA should also establish a system whereby voter registration is carried out at the time of the issuance of CNICs by NADRA. The CHRE added that the provincial election commissioner appreciated the initiative by the organisation and briefed about the steps taken by his office in this regard.
Source: Daily Times
Date:5/26/2011
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