MULTAN, Nov 30: An NGO which carried out an extensive survey of the Oct 10 election has stressed on the introduction of proportionate electoral system in the country.

Briefing at a press conference here on Saturday, Pattan Development Organization’s chief Sarwar Bari said the election results had reflected a multi-party political culture rather than the emergence of a two-party system as it was expected before polls.

He said the present electoral system suited to the two-party system, but in the presence of too many political parties in parliament only the proportional representation system was viable.

Giving weight to his argument, he said the PPP became the leading party after getting 26 per cent of the total votes polled, but it was the second to PML-Q with 62 NA seats as compared to the latter’s 78. This was despite the fact that the PML-Q got 25 per cent of the polled votes, he said.

According to the election commission, he said, the turnout was 42 per cent which meant that a majority of the voters did not turn up to polling stations. He said now the people who got approval from only 25 per cent of the already low turnout would make the policy decisions. This was one grey area which should be addressed before the next elections, he argued.

Mr Bari also demanded transparent ballot boxes, a database of public buildings that could be used for polling stations, concrete steps to enforce the code of conduct especially electioneering expenses, flawless and complete electoral lists and a strict check on the vote cast by aliens.

The Pattan electoral study, he said, also covered the NWFP where MMA had stolen the show. He attributed the MMA’s surprising success to the mobilization of religio-political parties on the united front of ‘Pak-Afghan Defence Council’ that was formed as a fall out of the Sept 11 events and subsequent US ‘War on Terrorism’ in Afghanistan.

He said political parties of liberal make-up lacked steam that needed to convert the popular following into the electoral strength. “I fear that the PPP and ANP are the dying political forces especially in the Frontier province,” he added.

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