Islamabad: After prolonged deliberations of over two years, the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms will meet tomorrow to approve and announce the recommendations finalised by a sub-committee to reform the present electoral system in the country. The sub-committee, headed by Law Minister Zahid Hamid, will meet today to formally approve its report for Ishaq Dar-led main parliamentary committee, which is scheduled to meet tomorrow.
Sources said that the electoral reform committee of parliament has decided to abolish all the existing election laws, at least seven in number, to be replaced by a unified draft Elections Act 2016, which, besides other corrections in the system, will empower the Election Commission of Pakistan as is the case in India.
Although, the package proposes several reforms, it does not seem possible to introduce electronic voting and bio-metric system in the next 2018 elections. The draft Election Act 2016 will replace all the existing laws including The Election Commission Order 2002, The Conduct of General Election Order 2002, The Representative of Peoples Act 1976, The Political Parties Order 2002, the Allocation of Symbols Order 2002, The Electoral Rolls Act 1974 and The Delimitation of Constituencies Act 1974.
The purpose of replacing the existing set of election laws with the draft Election Act 2016 is to consolidate different laws relating to the conduct of elections. Implementation of the electoral reforms package will also require certain constitutional amendments. The reform package will empower the Election Commission of Pakistan to proceed against Returning Officers and other election staff or any other official in the holding of fair and free elections. It could also suspend any public functionary, official including member of the police force or any other law enforcing agencies who obstruct or prevent the conduct of a fair and impartial poll or disobeys the commission or any of its representative.
The draft Act also allows the commission to order filing of a complaint before a court against persons who entered into such agreement.
