Elections in KP

The local government elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were held after a long break of one decade. Historically, LG elections in Pakistan have always been held by military dictators. This time we must appreciate that these elections were held by a democratically elected provincial government.
Keeping in view the struggle of the PTI for ensuring free and fair elections, the people were expecting that these elections would be held in an environment free from political and administrative influence. The PTI still enjoys popularity among the masses in considerable areas of KP and didn’t need to use any unfair practices to ensure winning majority seats. However, unfortunately, due to several factors, the party couldn’t resist following the footsteps of what it terms the status-quo parties. The PTI too ended up following the same old tactics of cheating and stealing the public mandate.
The foremost reason is the fact that the entire present leadership of the PTI (with the exception of Imran Khan and a few others) has been nourished in and acquired from the same, what the PTI calls, status-quo corrupt parties. Second, the PTI central leadership was unable to develop and share a code of election conduct for its own party workers to follow.
Third, confidence from the 2013 win, expectation of continued popularity andthe wish to clean sweep the province didn’t allow the PTI to form productive alliances with like-minded parties and groups. Fourth, when the campaign started, the PTI leadership sensed (and the present results confirmed) that its popularity in several districts was challenged by the JI and the tri-partite alliance. Resultantly, people witnessed rigging, administrative corruption and use of police force.
Generally, the women of KP have little exposure to the political process and were the prime target of political harassment. Women voters carrying opposition badges or voter slips were informed that their names were not registered although the

ECP’s SMS service confirmed their votes at the same polling booths.
Women political workers of PTI forced old ladies to vote for ‘the bat’ and officials seemed helpless to stop them. After receiving their thumb impressions, two or three ballots papers were handed over to women voters instead of all seven. The ballot papers of district and tehsil/town council were mostly not provided.
Citing lame excuses, women presiding officers stopped polling several times without any justification; they forced (in some cases through the police) all polling agents to go outside the booths; what might have happened inside should not be a mystery.
Campaigning by political workers (mostly from the PTI) inside polling stations was observed across the board; the police or concerned staff didn’t take any notice. On several stations, the polling agents were not allowed to be present at the time of counting. While the agents resisted, they were forced to stay outside at least for some time. The officials didn’t announce results even after complete counting. In many cases, the officials refused to provide results on prescribed result sheets or to even sign the results.
In different areas, the district and town candidates of opposing parties were denied entry inside polling stations. However, the PTI candidates (and key workers) had easy access to even women’s polling booths.
Fake/additional ballot papers (mostly district and town) were stamped and polled on women’s stations even in presence of polling agents. The agents resisted and asked police to intervene but to no use.
In one polling station for women in Hayatabad, Peshawar, the results were not announced till late night. When approached, police didn’t allow entry to anyone, and very interestingly, after a long wait, a PTI male agent (flanked by the police) emerged on the school boundary wall to announce results to the public.
In another instance an independent town candidate caught a lady red-handed with a voting stamp; he asked a police officer to take action but the officer refused saying such an action was in nobody’s favour.
The large-scale rigging and use of administrative and police force by the government has dented the PTI’s image among the masses. As a remedy, there should be re-election – at least in select districts with proven reports of irregularities. The PTI government should cooperate with the ECP in ensuring free and fair elections. Here are some suggestions for the ECP to check pre-poll rigging and ensure free and fair polling day management.
While the police have not proved their impartiality, administrative and security control should be given to the FC and/or army; and the police force should perform under their control.
High-grade civil servants and/or army officers should be employed as presiding and deputy presiding officers. The presiding officers should be empowered to exercise magisterial powers. The ECP should strictly ensure that its election rules and regulation are followed. There should be a strict check on any party influencing voters on polling day.
The polling camps of parties should not be allowed or be installed at a considerable distance from polling stations. No vehicles shuld be allowed to display party flags or candidates’ posters on polling day. Party workers should not be allowed to accompany voters to the polling stations. No one in the polling stations should be allowed to wear party signs, election symbols, colours, badges, caps, bands or clothes etc. Carrying arms or accompanying guards (except official security) on polling day should also be banned.
The writer is the executive director of the
Institute of Research and Development Studies (IRDS).