ECP completes training of electoral staff

ISLAMABAD: As the phase of deciding appeals against the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers commenced, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has completed the necessary training of 579,191 people on a priority basis to perform election duties.

According to the election commission, the training of the remaining 406,222 people will be completed by February 1, 2024. In the last week of November 2023, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had started training the 985,413 election staff being deployed in the general elections.

The election staff includes district returning officers, returning officers, presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, and other election staff. The commission, through a statement, maintains that strict disciplinary action is being taken against the staff absent during the training programme. All government employees assigned election duties during the general elections have been directed to ensure their attendance at the training sessions.

In addition, on the special instructions of the commission, the Central Control Room has been fully functional since December 26, 2023, and is redressing the complaints received daily. The control room has so far received 45 complaints, and all of them have been redressed.

At the same time, 165 complaints received in the Central Complaint Cell set up in the Election Commission Secretariat were immediately acted upon, and necessary instructions were issued to the authorities concerned. All the complaints have been resolved.

All 80 control rooms have also been activated at the provincial, divisional, and district levels under the Central Control Room (CCR), which assists the CCR in monitoring election-related matters and promptly addressing complaints.

Similarly, monitoring teams deployed in all districts across the country have also been activated, engaging in the daily removal of all publicity materials by candidates violating the code of conduct.

The commission said that at present, notices are also being issued by the district monitoring officers for other violations of the code of conduct, which will be addressed according to the law after an inquiry.