LAHORE: PML-Q president Chaudhry Shujaat Husain has rejected the PML-N government’s bill on electoral reforms, saying his party will not sign the draft unless it includes the opposition’s recommendations to ensure transparent elections.

“The suggestions of the PML-Q and other opposition parties have not been incorporated in the proposed draft of the electoral reforms. The government kept the proceedings of the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms secretive thus hiding it from the public,” Chaudhry Shujaat told Dawn here on Thursday.

He said the committee held numerous meetings but the result was zero at the end of the day. “Why its proceedings were held in camera? Was it discussing the formula of an explosive device,” he asked, adding there was no point in going into next elections without comprehensively addressing the opposition’s concerns in this regard.

“We will take all opposition parties on board and will not let the government pass its controversial electoral reforms bill. Every opposition party wants next elections (to be) free, fair and transparent. Without consensus electoral reforms the 2018 election will be a repeat of the 2013 polls which were full of rigging,” he said.

Mr Hussain said in the present system the Election Commission’s chief had no powers as he was bound by the opinion of majority of its members. “It is ironic that if majority members of the ECP declare a winning candidate defeated the chief election commissioner cannot provide

any relief to the winning candidate. Even such lacuna is not addressed in the proposed draft,” he said.

He demanded the government to make the entire proceedings of the parliamentary committee public so that the people could know what the electoral reforms were all about.

“We not only reject the proposed draft but also press the government for adopting a bill having input of all opposition parties,” he said.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2017