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Political Parties question the ‘voter lists’
March 23, 2012
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Like other political parties throughout the country, Balochistan political and nationalist parties have also expressed their grave concerns about the flawed voters lists and termed them as non transparent.
The voter lists were put on display throughout the country on March 1 for 21 days under Section 17 of an electoral rolls law of 1974. The newly displayed voters list at more than 50000 display centres has numerous flaws. According to EC sources, the voter lists prepared with the cooperation of NADRA is 80 percent flawed and more than 20 million voters names have been placed wrongly. Due to this major flaw the next general elections are being for seen as a major upset.
National Party terming fair and transparent poll process inevitable for stability of democracy said that the electoral lists were prepared in haste and voters names were wrongly used. If the matter is not rectified that transparent lections are impossible. Election Commission and the Supreme Court should take notice and ensure that the polls are held transparently. Unfortunately, the democratic process has been derailed if the country would have been allowed to function democratically then the challenges we are facing today would not have existed.
If the Election Commission is made independent than holding of free and transparent polls can be achieved.
The flaws in voter lists in different parts of Balochistan echoed in the Provincial Assembly as legislators demanded the election commission rectify mistakes.
Provincial Minister for Water and Sanitation Agency Habibur Rehman Mohammad Hasani took to the floor on a point of order. He drew the attention of the House towards flaws in electoral voter lists that he said Election Commission had failed to rectify. “We raised this issue early that voter lists had flaws as voters of our constituency were enlisted in other constituencies. Some voters lists were displayed again by NADRA at different centres containing the same flaws and did not seem to have been properly verified or rectified,” he said.
“My name is also missing from voter list,” the Minister claimed.
He demanded that government should extend the deadline for verification because with three days left, the Election Commission had so far not displayed the voter lists in remote areas of Kharan district. Additionally time must be allotted to rectify mistakes.
Hasani was not the only one to complain, other Ministers including Mir Mohammad Asim Kurd Gello, Abdul Khaliq Bashar Dost, Basant Lal Gulshan, Nasreen Khetran and Sultan Mohammad Tareen expressed their concerns on computerised voters’ lists.
“The lists contain flaws. Those who are inhabitants of one union council, are registered with another constituency,” they complained.
Provincial Health Minister and leader of Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazal Ainullah Shams said that more than 4000 people of his constituency had been wrongfully registered in Dukki.
Senior Minister Maulana Abdul Wasay conceded that there may be flaws in the voter lists of a few areas, but the Balochistan Assembly could not directly demand the Election Commission to extend the deadline. He asked the members to approach the Election Commission over this issue.
Finance Minister Asim Kurd revealed that the process of verification of voter lists was also affected in some areas due to life threats they received from militants.
Serious Circles have expressed their grave concern over ECP Voters list and said that anti state elements seem to be behind this failure to come up with a transparent computerized list .
They said if serious efforst are not made to rectify the lists than the dream to stabilise democracy in the country would remain a mere dream. The voters list in far flung and remote areas of Balochistan also need to be given a review, as the voters in these areas have not even been contacted and registered due to law and order situation. If the process of voters registration in the sensitive areas such as Mastung, Awaran, Washak, and Khuzdar has not even started than the entire process becomes suspicious and the question arises was there need to prepare new lists and fingers and voices are raised over credibility of Election Commission and NADRA to come up with a flawless transparent voters list.
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