CGEP NEWS AND EVENTS

Aug 24, 2007

CGEP Seminar on “Challenges of Free and Fair Elections in Pakistan”

A Seminar was held on the topic of Challenges of Free and Fair Elections in Pakistan under the auspices of CGEP on August 24, 2007 at Islamabad. CGEP members who spoke at the public seminar included Chairman Justice (Retd.) Wajihuddin Ahmed, Former Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan; Mr. Arif Nizami, Editor, The Nation; Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin, Daily The News; Dr. Hasan-Askari Rizvi, Defence and Political Analyst; Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Moinuddin Haider, Former Governor Sindh; Justice (Retd.) Nasira Iqbal, Former Judge, Lahore High Court; Qazi Muhammad Jamil; Former President, Supreme Court Bar Association; Mr. Shahid Hamid, Former Governor Punjab and Mr. Tasneem Noorani, Former Federal Secretary. Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director, PILDAT moderated the session.

While speaking at the seminar, CGEP members regretted the decision to abolish the condition of computerised national identity card for voter registration and observed that it would open the floodgates of bogus voters’ registration. The speakers were of the view that the database of National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) should be used to compile an error-free voters’ list. In order to overcome the issue of large population not holding CNICs, the government should announce a fee-free period of making of CNICs by NADRA that should boost the registration. The votes should be registered, both now and for the future, at the same time when the CNICs are made by NADRA, they held.

Reiterating its position as contained in the CGEP position paper on Presidential Election, the Group members believed that it was both constitutionally and morally untenable for General Pervez Musharraf to be a candidate for the office of the President for another term, especially from the current assemblies. Gen. Musharraf, they observed, had began his election campaign at the blatant use of state resources and the Election Commission of Pakistan should take notice of that. They CGEP-proposed code of conduct bars the President from supporting any political party or group, implicitly or explicitly, in a public statement, speech or a meeting. The code states that the President “shall not show any inclination towards or promote a lobby or group on the basis of its ideology, ethnic or linguistic identity or faith…. 6 months preceding the expiry of the term of the National Assembly, of the President or from the date of dissolution of the National Assembly whichever of the three occurs earlier.” The code goes on to state that it is the law of the land that will decide which political party, group or individual can contest elections and the President “shall not make any statement which defies or impinges on the legal and constitutional right of any Pakistani citizen or party to contest elections.” The code goes on to state that the President shall neither attend any public meeting, rally or congregation organised by or organised for the benefit of a political party or alliance nor promise or announce any special or preferential package or programme from public funds for any constituency or area at least 6 months preceding the scheduled expiry of the term of the National Assembly or with effect from the dissolution of the National Assembly whichever occurs earlier.

The speakers also believed that the Local Governments, widely perceived to be the vehicles of election rigging in the previous general election, should be made non-functional with effect from the date of announcing of election schedule till the finalisation of election results. Administrators belonging to the civil bureaucracy should be appointed during the period.

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