Cleaning The Stairs
March 27, 2019
ECP – A Case Of Acquired Helplessness
March 27, 2019

Disenfranchising voters

 

Apropos Mr. Zaheer Sahito’s letter dated 12th December 2018.  It was nice of Mr.Sahito  to clarify that  those who are registered as voters at an address other than the permanent or temporary address,  will not be disenfranchised if they fail to get themselves transferred to either of the two addresses mentioned on their CNIC.   He further clarified that voting address of such individuals (estimated to be about 15 million) would be automatically transferred to their permanent address.

 

I would like to mention that this defacto amounts to disenfranchisement, as a negligible number is likely to get the correction done by 31 December 2018. It is obvious that these individuals live at places other than their permanent address and are not likely to go back only to cast their vote.

 

The ECP also ignores the fact some 10 million individuals could not vote in 2108 elections as they no longer live in the cities of their permanent address.  The ECP must also appreciate that citizens find it extremely cumbersome to get any address changes made at  NADRA  or at ECP offices.

 

I would like to make three suggestions.  The Election Act 2017 clause 27 must be amended to create a provision for  all citizens to vote from any location, just like the facility extended to the government employees.   The ECP’s procedure of changing one’s address is far too cumbersome and should be replaced by making a change possible through a short code SMS.  Lastly the deadline of 31 December is most unrealistic and must be extended for one more year.

 

Naeem Sadiq

 

Justice (R) Ms. Irshad Qaiser . Hon’ble Member, ECP

Mr. Farogh Naseem, Law minister, Ministry of Law & Justice. Address: Block S&R, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad, Tel: +9251-9202712.

 

Mr. Farogh Naseem,

Law minister, Ministry of Law & Justice.                                              13 December 2018

Block S&R, Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad,

Tel: +9251-9202712.

 

 

Dear Sir,

Disenfranchising 25 million voters

We as citizens of Pakistan and as members of “Citizens for Electoral Reforms”  would like to bring the following matters to your kind notice.

  1. The time frame advertised for citizens to have changes made in their voting address by 31 December 2018 is most unrealistic. We have interviewed hundreds of citizens who have neither read nor heard of this ad or the requirements stated therein, making any further action most improbable.
  2. The procedure for downloading, printing and filling Form 21 or going to the ECP office for filling one, is cumbersome and not likely to be taken up by most citizens.  This must be replaced by a short code SMS system where a voter could provide certain basic information and have his voting address changed.
  3. The Section 27 of the Election Act 2017 needs to be amended to enable all citizens to avail voting from locations other than Permanent or Temporary, just as it has been done for government employees.
  4. The current deadline of 31st December is far too unrealistic and should be extended by at least one more year.
  5. Kindly appreciate that not taking these measures would defacto disenfranchise not 15 but 25 million voters of Pakistan.

 

We request and hope that you will consider our suggestions and also convince the legislature of the much needed change in Section 27 of the Election Act 2017.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Naeem Sadiq

Rumana Husain

Farooq Dawood

Dr.Yasmeen Kazi

Abdul Hamid Dagia

Sasha A.

Dr. Salma Badruddin

Asad H Kizilbash

 

Honourable Chief Election Commissioner                                        13 December 2018

Election Commission of Pakistan,

Election House, Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad

Telephone: (+92)(51) (9205611)

 

Dear Sir,

Disenfranchising 25 million voters

We as citizens of Pakistan and as members of “Citizens for Electoral Reforms”  would like to bring the following matters to your kind notice.

  1. The time frame advertised for citizens to have changes made in their voting address by 31 December 2018 is most unrealistic. We have interviewed hundreds of citizens who have neither read nor heard of this ad or the requirements stated therein, making any further action most improbable.
  2. The procedure for downloading, printing and filling Form 21 or going to the ECP office for filling one, is cumbersome and not likely to be taken up by most citizens.  This must be replaced by a short code SMS system where a voter could provide certain basic information and have his voting address changed.
  3. The Section 27 of the Election Act 2017 needs to be amended to enable all citizens to avail voting from locations other than Permanent or Temporary, just as it has been done for government employees.
  4. The current deadline of 31st December is far too unrealistic and should be extended by at least one more year.
  5. Kindly appreciate that not taking these measures would defacto disenfranchise not 15 but 25 million voters of Pakistan.

 

We request and hope that you will consider our suggestions and also convince the legislature of the much needed change in Section 27 of the Election Act 2017.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Naeem Sadiq

Rumana Husain

Farooq Dawood

Dr.Yasmeen Kazi

Abdul Hamid Dagia

Sasha A.

Dr. Salma Badruddin

Asad H Kizilbash

 

F-15/2, 4th Gizri Street DHA, Karachi.   Ph.0334 369 3142