Transparency wants Pakistan Army to supervise elections

Senate of Pakistan

Transparency wants Pakistan Army to supervise elections

July 25, 2012

ISLAMABAD: The Transparency International, the worldwide anti-corruption and human rights watchdog institution, has demanded that Pakistan Army should supervise the coming general elections in which electronic voting systems like those used in India and Brazil should be used.

In a letter to new Chief Election Commissioner Fakhurddin G Ebrahim, the TIP said on Monday the EC should install 140,000 web cameras in all 68,000 polling booths throughout the 272 constituencies which would cost about one billion rupees which could be easily raised through donations or a charge on candidates.

The TIP's letter to the CEC says electoral rolls with photographs of voters should be given to all polling agents like in Bangladesh, and electronic voting like India and Brazil should be introduced.

But the most important of the six recommendations made by the TIP says the CEC should call upon the Pakistan Army as needed to be present both inside and outside the polling stations.It says the assets declared by all present parliamentarians and candidates in the next elections should be posted on the EC website.

The TIP agreed with CEC Fakhruddin Ebrahim that if fair and transparent elections were not held, it would be disastrous for the country.In a quick response to the TIP letter to the CEC, Secretary General of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Dr Arif Alvi, thanked the TIP for a very comprehensive letter to the Chief Election Commissioner which covers a lot of aspects of concern of all those who want a free and fair electoral process.