January 20, 2008	Sunday	Muharram 10, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Jan 19: The Election Commission on Saturday has scotched specuation about restrictions on foreign observers, saying that foreign and domestic observers would be free to monitor the electoral process.

Talking to a three-member delegation from the US-based Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, the Secretary of the Election Commission, Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad, said accreditation cards were being issued for observers to facilitate their visit to polling stations and offices of returning officers.

The delegation, comprising Michael A. Law, Paul M. Sherer and David Tamasi, was briefed about the poling process and announcement of results at polling stations.

Mr Dilshad said the polling scheme for the conduct of elections had been finalised.

He said that 64,176 polling stations, having 170,174 polling booths, would be set up all over the country with and their list would soon be made available on the ECP website.

He said that detailed results from every polling station would be available on the website as soon as they were announced.

He said 571,954 polling personnel had been appointed by the returning officers.

A complaint cell, headed by a joint secretary, had been established at the ECP secretariat in Islamabad and offices of its provincial election commissioners. The cell has powers to take immediate action on pre-election and post-election complaints, Mr Dilshad said.

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has also provided the services of a complaint adjudication adviser to co-ordinate with complaint centres at all levels.

The delegation was informed that 430,300 transparent ballot boxes had been acquiured with plastic seals and 300,000 portable voting screens had been imported for the general election.

The secretary said that 350,000 polling officials had been thoroughly trained under the supervision of international experts. Additionally, orientation programmes had been conducted for district returning officers and returning officers at provincial headquarters under the Chief Election Commissioner and members of the Election Commission.

Mr Dilshad said that separate guidance manuals had been prepared for district returning officers, returning officers and presiding officers. For the first time, a manual for the guidance of two million polling agents, who are to be appointed by political parties and independent candidates, had been prepared. A brief manual for domestic and foreign observers has also been published and was being supplied to observers.