20000310

EC seeks financial,

administrative powers

for fair elections

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission has asked for financial and administrative powers to make itself more effective in conducting fair, impartial and transparent elections.

The half hearted autonomy, which was given to the Election Commission by the caretaker set up in January, 1997 was only for a limited period, i.e., up to June 30, 1997.

There is a need to consider the issue with all seriousness and to give financial and administrative autonomy to the Election Commission on similar lines as has been given to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the commission sources' said.

In its recent report, the commission has said the existing three-year-term of the chief election commissioner is too short as the incumbent does not have sufficient time to plan even for one general election, which is normally supposed to be held after five years.

It has recommended that the term of the chief election commissioner should, therefore, be six years as is enjoyed by his counterpart in India.

The commission pointed out that the Constitution envisaged an independent Election Commission Ñ free from any sort of pressures from any government department/agency.

It was, therefore, considered expedient to house Election Commission in its own building in G-5 sector off the Constitution Avenue. The Election House construction whereof started 19 years back, is still incomplete mainly due to non-availability of funds and lack of political will on the part of the successive governments in this behalf.

It is, therefore, essential that the federal government should provide requisite funds for early completion of the project, which would greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Election Commission in discharging the responsibilities entrusted to it under the Constitution.

The report says, "It is a well-established principle that every democratic country in the world chooses the system of elections with such modifications as are suitable for the peculiar requirements of that country.

"No system is static or final for all times to come. It is always open to such improvements as become necessary in the light of the experience gained by the managers of elections during the operation of a particular system.

"It is in this spirit that various recommendations have been made for serious consideration by the legislators and adoption after due deliberations in the Parliament.

"It is, however, necessary that before making any changes in the system or in the relevant legal framework, it should be carefully weighed that a particular change or modification, which is being adopted, is practical and would not, in any way, make the system cumbersome."ÑAPP