‘WAF considers Elections 2018 a step in continuation of democracy’

Islamabad: Women Action Forum (WAF) has recommended the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to provide safe environment, transport and assistance in transporting election materials to the women polling staff, mostly form education department, in future polling activities besides recognising their role and efforts in holding elections in their appraisal and ACRs.

In a detailed statement issued on Monday, WAF commended the enthusiasm of women voters and candidates for participating in the electoral process. “WAF considers the Elections 2018 a step in the continuation of democracy in Pakistan. WAF commends the enthusiasm of women voters and candidates for participating in the electoral process despite security threats and denial of a level playing field and obvious engineering to favour one party against others. WAF also acknowledges the positive legal reforms under Election Law 2017, particularly related to the 5 per cent mandatory women quota on general seats by the political parties, and declaring the elections null and void in polling stations/constituencies with less than 10 per cent of the women voters turn out, in addition to others aimed at improving electoral procedures in the country.”

The forum expressed concern that despite concerted efforts by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and civil society organisations prior to the elections, there is a large gap in women to men voter registration numbers (approximately 11.9 million) that needs to be highlighted. “This is despite the fact that as the result of massive efforts of the ECP and civil society organisations; 24 percent more women were registered as voters in 2018 compared to the past,” said the statement while urging ECP and NADRA to increase its efforts considerably to reduce this gap prior to any upcoming election in the future.

The WAF says that despite ECP’s claims of providing all required facilities in line with the Election Act 2017, many polling stations consisted of small, dark, humid rooms without ventilation, in some cases not even equipped with fans and bathrooms and lacked ramps for the old and disabled women.

It strongly condemns the bomb blast on the elections day in Quetta and pre-poll violence in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. “We hold the state responsible for its lack of ability to provide effective protection to all voters and candidates. Violence might have played a role in lower voter turnout, particularly amongst the women voters, in Balochistan and KP,” the statement claims.

WAF acknowledged the efforts of ECP gender desks of setting up a complaint management system for women at the national and provincial level, and further demands that the ECP take measures for making publicly available information on the number and proportion of complaints and petitions by women lodged, decided and upheld received through complaint cells, tribunals or the judiciary. The forum also noticed that the ECP gender desk worked better at the federal level and the provincial desks were not considered responsive. The statement also applauds the highest women voter turnout (more than 70 percent) in Tharparkar, Sindh.

The Forum urges the ECP to adequately address the allegation of rigging. It says that otherwise, it would further strengthen the fears of political parties and public perception of “engineered elections” that may undermine the legitimacy of the 2018 elections with serious repercussions on Pakistan’s efforts to transition to a well-functioning democracy. “WAF remains deeply concerned over the serious allegations leveled by the political parties/agents of not receiving Form 45, delayed results, high number of discarded votes, last minute change of polling stations, the failure of the Results Transmission System (RTS) application in the middle of the vote count, and other anomalies, and fears.”

The Forum expressed deep concern that that candidates representing sectarian and hate mongering political groups were allowed to contest the elections while candidates from legitimate political parties were disqualified at the last minute on what seemed to be minor issues. It observes the need for better voter education and facilitation and a simplified process of casting votes in the next elections.

“For the future, WAF demands that there should be adequate women’s representation in the federal and provincial cabinets and parliamentary standing committees, in the decision-making and leadership positions. WAF also urges that all national policies formulated by the new government need to apply a gender lens and they should not be gender blind.

WAF also welcomed the win by three minority candidates in the General Elections 2018, and also a woman from the Sheedi community from Sindh. “But WAF is deeply disturbed that Ahmedi citizens continue to be excluded from the joint electorate system and continue to especially discriminated against in the voting process. WAF demands that the new government should take immediate measures to remove this blatant discrimination.”