LAHORE, Oct 9: The powers of presiding officers to give remarks on the statement of the final count of votes to be prepared for each polling station after polling have been withdrawn by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) through an amendment.

The amendment order issued on Oct 8 suggested that the sixth and last column bearing the title “remarks” in the statement of the count to be prepared on Form 14 under Rule 24 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1976, would no longer be used for this purpose.

Instead, this column would now be utilized by the presiding officers for mentioning in words the total number of votes to be obtained by every contesting candidate. The column to mention in figures the total number of secured votes already existed in the statement of the count.

Previously, a presiding officer could give his remarks regarding the conduct of a candidate with regard to polling if found illegal. Moreover, they could also give an observation with regard to the status of votes by mentioning them to be either valid, invalid, doubtful ot challenged.

The amendment was stated to be introduced to secure “maximum accuracy” in the count statement.

It was mentioned in the amendment order that presiding officers had committed errors in mentioning the exact number of polled votes in figures during the previous elections.

The total number of obtained votes would also include the votes challenged by the candidates. Interestingly, the order was transmitted to returning officers concerned on Tuesday when the copies of the count statement had already been dispatched to them to further their delivery to presiding officers.

In view of this, the returning officers used rubber stamps to affix the title of “total votes in words” on every copy of the count statement. The task of affixing the amended title was completed on Wednesday morning just before the delivery of election material to the presiding officers.

The presiding officers were briefed by their respective returning officers on Wednesday with regard to the amended forms. One sealed copy of the count statement would be delivered to the presiding officer while one would be displayed outside every polling station after the final counting of votes. The remaining copies would be distributed among the polling agents of different political parties.

Another amendment had already been introduced in the count statement under which the presiding officer was bound to affix his thumb impression on the statement besides affixing his signatures on it.