Election Commission of Pakistan's unsatisfactory Performance

The 2013 election is historic not only because it signifies continuity of the democratic system but also for having been presided over by a newly independent Election Commission of Pakistan as well as the enthusiastic public participation in the electoral exercise despite the threat of extremist violence. Unfortunately, however, the ECP's performance has not come up to public expectations. In fact, it was a poorly managed affair from start to finish. In several polling stations of a sprawling metropolis like Karachi voting started two or more hours behind schedule just because ballot papers or the ECP seal to secure the ballot boxes and the stamp to be affixed on the backside of the ballot papers arrived too late. The other supplies were either missing or inadequate, with the result that even when the voting started the queues moved at a snails pace. To make matter worse, many voters were to discover that they had been waiting in the wrong queue. The ECP use of 'block codes' and serial numbers created that confusion. Locating polling booths, and in many instances even polling stations proved to be quite an ordeal. The political parties were barred from distributing slips to households containing information about polling stations, but the listing system was too complicated for the polling staff and the voters to comprehend. Equally if not more disturbing was the manner in which voting was interrupted in certain Karachi constituencies. As per the pre-polls plan, aside from the provision of police protection, rapid action squads of the security forces were to rush in to stop any untoward incident. But nothing of the sort happened. Consequently, while some of the participants announced boycott of the election, PTI supporters resorted to public protests amid rising tension. Which begs the question, why did the ECP not take notice at the first hint of trouble, and call in the rapid action force to ensure peaceful resumption of voting? Also inexplicable has been the inordinate delay in handing results to candidates at certain constituencies in Karachi and Lahore, as well as for several Balochistan constituencies. Considering that the BNM chief Nawab Akhtar Mengal has been alleging that the establishment wanted to impose its chosen individuals on the Baloch people, the delay could reinforce suspicions of interference in that deeply troubled province. Things being what they are, instead of claiming credit for holding fair and free elections, the ECP needs to look into every formal complaint and come up with satisfactory answers. It must also take serious notice of irregularities, such as in Lower Dir, where women were denied their right to cast vote. Hopefully, it will strictly implement its rule under which the results of any constituency are to be cancelled if the number of women's vote cast is less than ten percent of registered female votes in that constituency.