LAHORE: A hearing of the National Security and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee convened by the House Committee on Oversight and Government to discuss the upcoming parliamentary elections in Pakistan on Thursday declared that the polls could not be transparent unless the curbs on media and opposition parties were lifted.

The hearing, chaired by Representative John Tierney, heard from three witnesses – former senator Thomas Daschle, International Republican Institute (IRI) Middle East and North Africa Regional Programme Director Thomas Garrett and International Crisis Group Senior Vice President Mark Schneider.

Lot more needed: Explaining his position on the situation, Daschle said the lifting of the state of emergency was a “welcome development”, adding that a lot more was needed to be done before the polls could be viewed as free and fair by any international standard. He said lingering restrictions on the press and opposition political parties were troubling. However, he said he believed the parties and the people of Pakistan could deal with these challenges effectively.

Similarly, Thomas Garrett said the IRI was fielding a 65-person international election day observer team. He said the people of Pakistan would look unfavourably upon the US if they feel that it is complicit with steps that rule out a democratic election.

Also speaking on the occasion, Scheider said that Pakistan’s parliamentary elections would be “fatally flawed” unless political, electoral and legal conditions are rapidly improved. He said Musharraf needed to establish a neutral Election Commission and a neutral caretaker government, and consult with the parties on all of the issues relative to the election, as well as releasing all those detained for engaging in democratic protest.
Source: Daily Times
Date:12/24/2007