Second interim report on electoral reforms presented to Senate

Minister says net public domestic debt up by 149pc from 2008-09 to 2012-13

ISLAMABAD: The second interim report on electoral reforms was presented to the Senate here on Thursday for consideration of the house and suggesting recommendations for further improvement.

The suggestions, if any, would be sent to the National Assembly Secretariat within 30 days, said Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani about the report presented by Minister of State for Interior Baleeghur Rahman.

The second interim report of the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms (PCER) was prepared by a subcommittee after consolidating suggestions covering 4,000 pages by civil society experts, bar councils and others. The subcommittee had held 70 meetings and submitted seven progress reports to the main committee. On the basis of the first interim report of the subcommittee, the 22nd Constitutional Amendment Bill regarding the appointment of the chief election commissioner and ECP members was adopted by the parliament. Now on the basis of the second interim report, another proposed amendment has been introduced for consideration of parliamentarians and their input.

As stated in the report, the subcommittee deliberated on nine electoral laws to consolidate them into one law and also frame subsequent election rules. In this report, some members expressed reservations regarding 10 per cent turnout of women voters, seeking to drop it down to 5 per cent.

The report also provides basis for the Draft Constitutional Amendment Bill 2017 as it was discussed by a 33-member committee comprising members from all parties in the National Assembly and the Senate. It was also informed that the electoral rules proposed by the committee had been sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan for its input within 30 days.

Balighur Rahman on Thursday told the Senate that the increase in net public domestic debt was 38.7 per cent during the last three fiscal years whereas the net public domestic debt had increased by 149 per cent from 2008-09 to 2012-13. He clarified that the public domestic debt had not increased by 80 per cent.

He said the pace of debt accumulation by the government was under control, adding that the government was trying to keep public debt within sustainable limits.

The government, he said, had achieved macroeconomic stability in last three years through reducing energy shortages, higher revenue collection, wider tax, significant reduction in fiscal deficit and infrastructure development. The fiscal consolidation was on track to reduce reliance on loans since the government successfully curtailed the fiscal deficit from 8.2 per cent of GDP in 2012-13 to 4.6 per cent in 2015-16 due to enhanced revenue mobilization and prudent expenditure management.

Replying to a question, he said the total public debt would be reduced to 60 per cent of GDP until 2017-18 and, thereafter, a 15-year transition period had been set to reduce debt to the GDP ratio at 50 per cent.