September 24, 2002	Tuesday	Rajab 16, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The Chief Election Commissioner on Monday “directed” the federal and provincial governments to provide security to the international observers in the forthcoming general elections to “see for themselves the transparency of the election process.”

The CEC Justice Irshad Hasan Khan has issued the directives after the EU announced that it would reduce the strength of its observers which it intended to send to Pakistan because of Pakistan’s “reluctance to meet security requirements.”

Justice Irshad had been telling the international observers in the past that they would be welcome to “observe” but not to “supervise” the forthcoming general election.

An EC announcement on Monday, whose tone and tenor was different from the previous announcement, said: “The international observers are most welcome to observe the pre-poll arrangements, voting process and counting of votes by the presiding officers at the close of the polls.”

The EC announcement said the observers could also witness the preparation of preliminary results by the returning officers after receiving statements of count from all polling stations of his constituency.

The EC said that the presiding officers would announce the preliminary result locally and shall provide a copy thereof to be affixed outside his office for information of general public.

The CEC emphasized that the Election Commission is arranging necessary briefing sessions for the observers in the EC secretariat at Islamabad and in the offices of the provincial election commissioners and necessary briefing material is being provided to the observers.