ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja has said steps have been taken to ensure transparency in the elections. Addressing an event here in Islamabad on Wednesday in connection with the National Voters Day, he said action has also been taken against those elements who tried to resort to lawlessness and irregularities during the electoral process.
He said as a result of these steps, the confidence of people on elections, democratic process and the election commission has increased. He said an effort has also been made to ensure implementation of election code of conduct by taking across the board action against its violators. Sikandar Sultan Raja said the election commission supports the use of technology in the electoral process. But the technology should be such on which all the stakeholders have consensus, people can easily exercise their right to franchise and secrecy of vote could be ensured.
He said we have not opposed the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) or the voting right of overseas Pakistanis but there should be a method for this. He said we cannot make the general elections controversial in any haste. Describing the local bodies as the most important one, Sikandar Sultan Raja said his institution is serious in their conduct.
He said the process of local government elections has been completed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Local government elections in the federal capital will be held on December 31, while the second phase of local body’s elections in Sindh will be held on January 15. He said polling for the local bodies in the flood affected areas of Balochistan will be held on Sunday. The Chief Election Commissioner said we are also ready for the local government elections in Punjab and these will be held in the last week of April.