Timely approval of Electoral Reforms highlighted

Islamabad: Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) organised a seminar highlighting the importance of timely approval of the Electoral Reforms which is under debate at the forum of parliamentary committee.

Amer Ejaz, executive director, CPDI during his introductory remarks informed participants about CPDI work in different fields related to governance and democracy. He told that the CPDI had been implementing projects on elections monitoring, voter and civic education and advocacy for electoral reforms. 

He said that the seminar was arranged for providing a forum to all related stakeholders to discuss and workout ways for accelerating the reforms process so that it would complete well in time before next general elections in 2018. He also shared CPDI's intent to expand its elections portfolio pursuing multiple initiatives focusing on voter and civic education, advocacy for electoral reforms with a special emphasis on inclusion of persons with disabilities, election observation etc. He thanked all the participants for making the event a successful one.

Nighat Siddique, additional director general Training & Gender, ECP made a presentation on the proposed reforms affecting marginalised voters including women and persons with disabilities. She emphasised the need to make all electoral processes inclusive so that none of the marginalised segments of population were excluded. She also shared the steps taken by the ECP to mainstream women and persons with disabilities in the elections and electoral systems in Pakistan.

Shabir Ahmed, country director, International Foundation for Electoral Systems shared that unification and refinement of the electoral laws in line with the demand of the voters, political parties and other stakeholders was the need of time. He also pointed out the need to approve and implement of the reforms package well before general elections 2018. He requested all participants to play their role in whatever capacity they were engaged with the electoral reforms process. 

Zafar Hussain, Additional Secretary ECP was the chief guest. Due to meeting of parliamentary committee on electoral reforms he could not attend the seminar; his message was read by Nighat Siddique. In his message he shed light on the tireless efforts of the Parliamentary Committee members to put together recommendations for improving the electoral systems. He also highlighted the technical inputs of the ECP staff to facilitate the Committee Members in designing the electoral reforms package.

After the presentations, a panel of elections experts, media and parliamentarians engaged with the audience over discussion about the electoral reforms package. Participants asked multiple questions about different aspects of the reforms and recorded suggestions for consideration by the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms.