Daily Times
January 28, 2008
Civil society to deploy 20,000 observers for February polls
* Observers to monitor election process in 83 districts
KARACHI: The Free and Fair Elections Network (FAFEN), a coalition of 40 independent, non-partisan civil society organizations will appoint about 20,000 polling station observers (PSOs) for the election process in every district of Pakistan on Election Day.
“The political parties are complaining against the pre-poll rigging and that the district governments are not playing an impartial and neutral role in the constituencies,” said FAFEN National Coordinator Muddasir Rizvi at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) Sunday.
“The opposition parties have accused the administration of taking sides in matters like setting up polling stations and posting of polling staff. There have also been complaints that the government machinery and resources are being used in the polling campaigns of pro-government candidates,” said Rizvi. FAFEN was established in 2006 for observing the credibility of the election process in the country said Rizvi.
20,000 observers The 20000 observers including 16400 stationary and rest of the mobile observers to monitor the election process in constituencies of 264 national assembly seats in 83 districts.“They would also monitor the post-election situation with the help of their long-term observers. They have published eight updated reports regarding post-poll monitoring of the last elections. The FAFEN observers would be neutral and impartial while monitoring the polls and they have been trained in this regard,” said Rizvi. “Meetings are being held with all the political parties to get their views about the coming elections. All the political parties have assured us of their cooperation to monitor the electoral process,” said Rizvi.
“Numerous complaints have been received regarding various types of pre-poll rigging and we have sent their reports to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and floated some 10 suggestions, including setting up of a proper mechanism to handle complaints and legal steps to get implementation rules about the polling expenses. There are complaints that the code of conduct issued by the ECP for political parties contesting the polls is being violated,” said Rizvi.
“FAFEN is being financed by the European Countries and the United States and funds generated threw membership fees of the sister organizations,” said Rizvi.
Mukhtar Javed and Mussarat Qadeem, members of FAFEN executive committee were also present.
