ISLAMABAD – The Election Commission of Pakistan has given its mind over the issue of the General Elections 2018.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is likely to conduct the next general elections due in 2018 on the basis of 2013 constituencies because of paucity of time to redo existing constituencies in the light of the ongoing 6th national census.
The ongoing census will conclude next month in May and the ECP seems in a quandary to complete the reforms process including delimitation of constituencies because of the time factor.
Sources in the Election Commission told The Nation that the ECP had already warned the government that the time was running out for the enactment of electoral reforms, if political parties wanted the next general elections to be held under the proposed laws.
Expressing concern over the delay in the promulgation of the Election Laws 2017, the ECP has written to the National Assembly speaker — through the NA secretary — asking him to direct the Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms “to finalise its recommendations and lay the bill before the parliament for making necessary legislation and enact the Election Act 2017 as early as possible so the ECP could start and complete its work in time according to the new law.”
The draft Election Law 2017 was presented by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar who heads the parliamentary committee in an interim report on December 20th last year before both the houses of the parliament.
While presenting the report, the minister said that the committee had decided to seek feedback from all stakeholders, including parliamentarians, adding that a final draft would be completed within 30 days once all recommendations had been incorporated.
The ECP’s letter, however, maintains that under Section 14 of the draft Election Law 2017, the ECP is required to “prepare a comprehensive action plan specifying all legal and administrative measures that have been taken or are required to be taken” at least six months before the general elections are due to be held.
“Keeping in view the importance and magnitude of work, it is apprehended that in case of delayed enactment of new election act by the parliament, timely completion of the aforesaid activities could become a huge challenge for the ECP, impacting quality of elections,” the commission warned, breaking down the various tasks it was required to undertake before the expiry of the terms of the national and provincial assemblies.
The letter said that the 2018 elections were looming and that the commission had to undertake a number of important tasks well before the assemblies’ terms expired.