SC moved to stop likely election rigging

LAHORE: A constitutional petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to stop likely rigging in upcoming general elections of 2018, and to ensure reforms including proper security, staff and safety of female presiding officers.

Professor Mohsin Raza Joiya, chairman Nawa-e-Asataza, Punjab, and Founder of Reforms Movement, has filed the petition, saying that after 2013 general elections, it was witnessed that election was declared null and void in various constituencies due to rigging. But neither any investigation was conducted nor any responsibility was fixed, he added. He has asked about the steps taken by the Election Commission of Pakistan so far to ensure transparency and reforms.

He pointed out that all elections held in the past were not accepted by all political parties and democratic system always remained in danger.

Mohsin said that the process of election was conducted by the returning officers, who only supervised the elections. But in fact, practically, elections were conducted by the presiding officers, who are fully responsible for the election at the polling stations. But the presiding officer, the petitioner said, face huge problems in conducting elections as he and his poling staff collect election material from the Returning Officer one day before the election. That practice was very hectic for the Presiding Officer and his polling staff particularly for the lady presiding officers and their polling staff.

He stated that no facility was ever provided to the presiding officers and the polling staff for transportation of the election material like ballot boxes. Polling staff take the material to the polling station on their own and they were responsible for safety of the election material.

However, he pointed out that keeping election material intact for a presiding officer was difficult as the staff was not provided security. The presiding officer and staff reach far-flung areas one day before the election and the ECP did not provide them accommodation to spend the night in those areas. The polling staff find no option to stay at the house of any big landlord, influential person of that area for a night, which could damage the process of fair election, he added.

He said that after conducting the election proceedings, it was a duty of the presiding officer to hand over the election material to the returning officer.

The petitioner stated that three persons per polling station were insufficient to conduct the process smoothly, while four minutes were required for completion the record of a voter for casting a vote. Beside it, two constables/ razakars were appointed to maintain law and order situation on a polling station, who were insufficient to maintain law and order.

He submitted that female workers, who were assigned duties by the ECP through a list provided by their departments and thus, a female resident in east of the district is deputed in the western corner. As they have to reach polling station one day before their duty, they have to spend night in the houses of unknown persons, which was unsafe and humiliating, he added. He said that a polling station was the basic unit for the process of election that should be fully safe and the presiding officer and his polling staff were responsible to conduct peaceful, free and fair elections. The additional duties like law and order at the polling station, smooth conduct of polling, dispute management, security of the polling material overburden the presiding officer, which make his task more difficult.

The petitioner said the duty of law and order and the election material might be handed over to the law-enforcement agencies like Pakistan Rangers. He asked the court to direct the ECP to check rigging, how it happened in the past and how it could be stopped in future, verification through thumb impression where turnout comes more than 50 per cent, to provide polling material at polling station and collection from the same stations.

He also prayed to the court to order the ECP to divide the number of polling booths as the number of voters would not exceed 200 maximum per booth, female staff be appointed within 15 kilometres radius from their residence and to ensure safety and protection of the polling staff.