UNDOUBTEDLY, there has been much horse-trading in the recent senate elections but the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has closed its eyes.
Now the chief election commissioner has come up with a weird response that mere statements are not enough and evidence should be provided. Members registered in a province filed papers from another province and got elected. Does it not defeat the very spirit of creating the upper house? Now, horse-trading for the post of chairman and the deputy chairman of the senate is in full swing. Unfortunately, the ECPisnotbothered about buying ofvotes and money changing hands.
On the other hand, the ECP`s responsibility is to ensure fair and transparent elections.
Suggestions should flow from the ECP about how to make the process transparent and ensure visibility. Open balloting, as was recently discussed, should have been proposed by the ECP itself much before the schedule was announced and constitutional amendment brought about to give it legislative cover. Direct elections is a much better option.
The ECP is not applying its mind to reforming the system, and maintaining the status quo.Thereis aneed to havefresh faces in the ECP who are competent to evolve the commission`s rules with checks and balances.
A. M.
Karachi (2) THE passing of a presidential ordinance just a night before the senate elections,restoring the original constitutional provision, regarding the voting by Fata MNAs, vitiated the atmosphere right from the morning of the election day.
The move was not bad per se, but its timing created much consternation among opposition parties. The election of Fata senators was thus postponed for the first time in Pakistan`s history.
The role of the election commission seemed to be very timid. It could easily have declared the new ordinance as void as it was issued after the announcement of the election schedule.
