No member of Election Commission to resign: CEC

Says those who complain against them better approach SJC; representatives of political parties including PPP, PTI attend ECP meeting

By our correspondents
September 11, 2015
ISLAMABAD: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Sardar Raza, on Thursday stated that members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would not resign and those who had complaints against them should approach the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
The CEC called on the political parties to play their due role in the implementation of the code of conduct with regard to the local bodies (LB) polls in Punjab and Sindh.
He said this while chairing a consultative session of political parties here at the Election Commission Secretariat, which the electoral body summoned to listen to what the stakeholders had to say on the upcoming electoral exercise in the two provinces. Representatives of the PML-N, PPP, PTI and other parties attended the session.
It was learnt that on the issue of the demand of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the chief election commissioner maintained that if any political party had an issue with the ECP members, it could move the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).
The PTI and PPP had blamed the Election Commission members for the alleged rigging in the 2013 elections and wanted them to go home prior to the local bodies polls in Punjab and Sindh. However, the members rejected this demand and denied having played any role in alleged rigging.
The CEC wanted the political parties to play their due role in the implementation of code of conduct and said its violation would not be tolerated. The consultative session had a detailed discussion on the poll-related rules and laws.
The chief election commissioner vowed that the Election Commission would come up to the expectations of the people.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission released the schedule for the by-election in NA-144 according to which, nomination papers could be filed on September 14-15, scrutiny of the same would be held on September 16-17 and appeals could be filed on September 19.
The revised list of candidates will be issued on September 22 and polling will be held on October 11. The NA seat had fallen vacant after the ruling PML-N MNA Muhammad Arif Chaudhry from Okara was deseated by the election tribunal for having a fake degree.