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| August 3, 2005 | Wednesday | Jumadi-us-Sani 26, 1426 |
PPP questions EC ability to hold LG polls
ISLAMABAD, Aug 2: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has questioned the ability of the Election Commission (EC) to hold free, fair and impartial Local Government elections, as according to the party the commission is not taking any action against the violators of the election code of conduct.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Naheed Khan, Member National Assembly and Political Secretary to the PPP chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, said the monitoring committee of the party had so far issued two detailed fact sheets on violation of election laws by the government functionaries and the ‘King’s party’ and victimisation of Awam Dost candidates and their supporters but the Election Commission remained unmoved. This, she said, reflected the commission’s helplessness to stop these gross violations by Gen Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, governors and chief ministers of Sindh and Punjab, federal and state ministers, advisers and the office-bearers of the King’s party.
The commission has also failed to stop the incidents of victimisations against Awam Dost candidates, their supporters and the PPP workers.
She said the commission also did not take action against the people, who publicly announced disenfranchising women in Dir and Batagram. It was the duty of the commission to probe the situation and take measures to ensure women’s participation but it did not do so which indicated its incapacity to hold free and fair elections in the country, she added.
This is the reason that the PPP has been demanding formation of an independent election commission with the help of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Naheed Khan said.
The MNA also condemned institution of cases and arrest of Awam Dost candidates, their proposers and seconders and supporters. She said it was shameful that the houses of several candidates and their supporters were being raided by the police and security personnel in plain clothes and women were being harassed everyday.
Ms Khan demanded immediate release of all the arrested political workers and withdrawal of cases against them so that the elections could take place peacefully.
She warned the regime of dire consequences if the people were not allowed to freely express their choice and choose their own candidates without any pressure and threat.
Meanwhile, Coordinator Central Information Bureau of Pakistan People’s Party and Member National Assembly Farzana Raja has invited the intervention of the Supreme Court in stopping the pre-poll rigging by the regime.
In a statement, Ms Raja said the Awam Dost candidates were being kidnapped and harassed by the state machinery.
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