ISLAMABAD: The European Commission (EC) has invited proposals from civil society organisations for projects meant to contribute to the consolidation of democracy in Pakistan, but is seeking to exclude organisations that are currently working with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The call seeks proposals that “contribute to the consolidation of democracy in Pakistan through improved electoral process with a focus on their enhanced credibility and inclusiveness”, while it specifically aims to “strengthen domestic capacities for observation of electoral processes and advocacy for electoral reforms”.

Logically, any organisations that have experience working on election-related matters should be preferred, especially those that have worked with the ECP in the past.

Donors urged to complement ECP efforts, not jeopardise them

But the eligibility criteria for organisations that can apply for this six million euro grant clearly states: “Any organisation which is a consortium member or subcontractor under Service Contract ‘EU Support to Election Processes in Pakistan’ or organisations currently providing support to the ECP under any engagement would not be eligible for the award of a grant.”

An independent electoral expert told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the guideline seemed to be designed so that any civil society organisation already collaborating with ECP will be barred from working on this project.

“Such restrictive conditions are detrimental to ECP and civil society’s efforts to develop a more collaborative relationship and need to be reviewed. The donors must complement the ECP’s efforts and not jeopardise them through such conditions,” he said.

The restricted call for proposals points out that the awarding of the contract is subject to the condition of the prior conclusion of a financing agreement with the government of Pakistan, which does not modify the elements of the procurement procedure (this will be the case, for instance, if the budget initially foreseen is different or if the timeframe, the nature or the condition of the implementation are altered).

If the condition is not met, the contracting authority will either abandon the procurement or cancel the award procedure without the candidates or tenderers being entitled to any compensation.

Support to electoral processes is one of the strategic objectives of the EU Multi-Annual Indicative Programme 2014-2020. Globally, the requirement to focus EU aid on actions related to human rights, democracy and other key elements of good governance is underlined in the EU’s Agenda for Change 2011.

In Pakistan, the EU supported the electoral reform process between 2008 and 2014 by providing comprehensive electoral assistance to key stakeholders and engaging politically through the high profile 2013 EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) and visits of the EU EOM chief observer to Pakistan.

When contacted, a spokesperson for the EU delegation said they could not respond immediately due to contractual obligations, adding that a response would be provided after consulting with other colleagues.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2017