KARACHI, April 29: The stage is set for holding the presidential referendum on Tuesday and to vote for President Gen Pervez Musharraf, which will mean endorsement of his policies and authenticating a new full five-year term as the President of Pakistan.

The outcome of the referendum is no more a mystery, following the verdict of the Supreme Court in which the referendum has been termed in accordance to the constitution. People sitting on the fence have also made up their minds.

In Karachi, over 7,600 polling stations have been set up with over 15,000 polling booths. There are also over 3,600 improvized polling stations.

Throughout the city and at various places organizations, Nazims and councillors vocal in support of the referendum, have set up camps decorated with banners and posters where national songs are also being played.

At every polling station, there will be a Presiding Officer and at every booth, an Assistant Presiding Officer and Polling Officer will be present.

In every town, a representative of the Assistant Returning Officer has been posted who will supervize the election material and supply it in case of shortage at any polling station.

To facilitate voters, the Election Commission has set up polling stations in every public-dealing office including banks, universities, shopping centres, airport, government offices and institutions, railway stations, autonomous bodies, etc. As there is no provision of electoral rolls, every Pakistani of 18 years and above can cast his vote at any polling station set up in the city government perimeters.

Through the Referendum Order Ordinance II 2002, the obligatory condition of presenting the National Identity Card has already been waived and now a voter can cast his vote by showing the service card with a pasted photograph which can verify his nationality and age of 18 years or above.

According to the EC, in such a referendum the percentage of supportive and negative votes are always determined from the votes cast and not the total strength of eligible voters.

Besides, only a consolidated result would be announced and that, too, by the EC in Islamabad, as there is no other candidate in the referendum. There would be no polling agents except the polling assistants nominated by the District Coordination Officer among the area notables. Their assignment is to ensure that the polling process goes on smoothly and that the ballot boxes at the time of sealing are empty. They would also see that the ink used for marking the voter is indelible.

The authorities have taken extra measures to ensure smooth polling and maintain law and order. The polling will start like elsewhere at 9am and continue without any break till 7pm.

After polling, despite counting of votes, the result would not be announced at the polling station but the Presiding Officer would inform the ARO of the result who, after compiling the result, would inform the EC for its consolidation and announcement by the same from Islamabad.

Contrary to past practice, the referendum is a working day for all purposes.

Karachi’s mammoth public meeting on Sunday, which was the culminating point of the President’s drive, sent a strong message to the authorities — that if the Muttahida Qaumi Movement withdraw its tacit support in the urban centres of Sindh, where it has proved its sway repeatedly, the crutches of bureaucracy cannot make it, except by manifesting the support of different professional bodies, mercantile community, councillors, Nazims, etc, through display of banners, placards and hoardings mounted at vintage points.

The President, during his addresses in some 23 centres in the country since he kicked off his “meet-the-people” campaign from Minar-i-Pakistan on April 9, got ample opportunity to speak his mind to the masses. And if the mass rallies are any indication, the President has already won the referendum hands down.

Although all major national, political and religious parties of the country have been opposing the referendum, it appears the parties will fail to make even a noticeable dent.

The parties which have announced their support include PML(F) led by Pir Pagara, PML (Quaid-i-Azam) of Mian Azhar, National Awami Party of Ajmal Khattak, Tehreek-i-Insaf of Imran Khan, Millat Party of Sardar Farooq Leghari, Sindh Democratic Alliance of Shaikh Imtiaz Ahmad, Pakistan Awami Tehreek of Dr Prof Tahirul Qadri, National People’s Party of Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Musharraf Aawmi Tehreek of Maulvi Iqbal Haider. But these parties, as far as electoral politics is concerned, are of no significance in Karachi and Sindh.