ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, headed by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, is unlikely to complete its work during the current year, though its original term of 90 days expired in the third week of October.

The committee will surely be able to have the delay condoned by the National Assembly, but there are concerns over the secretive style the parliamentary panel had adopted. The proceedings of the committee had just been opened for the media when allegations of printing of fake ballot papers were rejected by officials from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP).

PPP leader Farhatullah Babar told Dawn he was surprised that the proceedings of the committee had been kept secret from the media and the public.

“The entire electoral process involves the people and the people must know how and what decisions the committee takes on issues that concern them,” he said.

Committee’s secretive ways draw criticism from members and observers alike

He observed that making public the difference of opinion inside the committee public would enhance people’s confidence in the committee.

A member of the parliamentary committee told Dawn that there was no reason for the proceedings to be in-camera.

“We do not discuss the formula for nuclear bombs or any other state secrets, so the proceedings should be open for the media to enable people to know what is happening,” he said.

Meanwhile, a network of NGOs working to reform the electoral processes has urged the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms to open its doors to broad-based public consultation to ensure that electoral reforms are meaningful, realistic and reflective of popular aspirations.

The Free and Fair Election Network (Fafen) said in a statement that currently the committee was only providing an opportunity to the ECP to deliberate on its proposals. However, the ECP, which faces a crisis of credibility after allegations of irregularities in the 2013 elections that were supported by nearly all political parties, is presenting a myopic view on electoral reform.

Describing the formation of the panel as a step in the right direction, the Fafen statement noted that the way the committee was carrying out its functions did not encourage public confidence or ownership of the process.

The network recommended that the committee make public the more than 1,200 proposals it had received from various interested parties to encourage public debate, and reach out to parties outside the parliament as well as citizens, bar councils, professional and trade associations, election observer groups and the media to actively solicit proposals.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2014