Will have authority to make decisions including pacts with global institutions
Khayam Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The proposed amendments in the Election Act suggest excessive powers for the caretaker government which includes inking pacts with global players for keeping economy afloat.
The draft of The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2023 proposes 54 amendments in The Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2020.
One of the key provisions in the bill involves sub-clause 2A of Section 230 of the Election Act, granting additional powers to the caretaker government.
Under the proposed amendment, the caretaker government will have the authority to make necessary decisions for the country’s economy including pacts with global institutions.
Moreover, the bill focuses on improving transparency and efficiency in the election process.
The presiding officer, responsible for overseeing polling stations, will now be required to promptly send the election results to both the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Returning Officer (RO).
The commission will be bound to provide the voter list of the constituency to the RO 30 days before the polling.
In case of internet unavailability, the presiding officer will personally deliver the actual result.
To ensure timely declaration of results, the bill proposes a deadline of 2am of the next day of the election for the presiding officer to announce the results. If there is any delay, a concrete reason must be provided.
The final results must be declared by 10am the next day.
The ECP will also be subject to certain amendments, including addressing complaints one day before polling and receiving updated ID card records from National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to maintain voter accuracy.
Delimitation of constituencies will be finalised four months before the election schedule, and constituencies will be based on an equal number of registered voters with a maximum 5% difference in voter count.
Complaints regarding demarcations can be made within 30 days, and the ECP is required to publish polling staff details on their website.
Polling staff will not be allowed to perform duty in their tehsil during elections. The candidates can challenge the deployment of the polling staff within 10 days.
Moreover, the secrecy of votes will be ensured by installing cameras in polling stations.
Violations of the code of conduct will be addressed within 7 days instead of 15 by the ECP.
