ISLAMABAD, Aug 10: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has directed party leaders to train workers to carry out duties in the 2007 elections. She has asked the party’s provincial presidents to conduct workshops to enable workers to act as polling agents “so that rigging in elections is prevented,” the party announced.

“Unfortunately, we have not always been able to appoint polling agents equipped to deal with government excesses,” she said. “Due to lack of training of polling agents, the PPP has suffered in previous elections and this must be overcome in General Elections 2007.”

For this purpose, training sessions for polling agents need to be initiated at Tehsil/Town levels to teach prospective agents “to detect illegal ballots and voters and not to feel threatened by violent excesses of the opposing camp,” she said.