The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on Wednesday announced to trigger a nationwide citizen’s campaign to bring transparency in ECP finalisation of election results.
FAFEN also demanded that the ECP release all polling station and constituency forms and data.
Addressing a news conference FAFEN Director Programmes Rasheed Chaudhry and Chairperson Zahidul Islam said that FAFEN performed its job in the best interest of the people to bring transparency in the polls so that people may come up with the true leadership as per their desires.
While announcing to start a citizen campaign, Chaudhry said the campaign is focused to raise the demand for immediate release of polling station-wise vote counts and data for each constituency as a prerequisite to electoral transparency.
Under the campaign, Chaudhry said, FAFEN would mobilise citizens on their right to access vital electoral information that forms the basis for the consolidated constituency-level results.
He also said FAFEN would hold media briefings, citizen forums and signature campaigns across Pakistan with the primary purpose of requesting the ECP to publically release the actual polling scheme implemented on Election Day and documents from all 69,801 polling stations in 268 constituencies where elections were held, including Form XIV (Statement of the Count), Form XV (Ballot Paper Account), Form XVI (Consolidation Statement of the Results of the Count) and Form XVII (Result of the Count).
FAFEN believes that it is the duty of state institutions to provide complete and timely information on matters of public importance for the benefit of candidates, political parties, media and other stakeholders, Chaudhry added.
He said the need for this campaign arose after FAFEN analysed preliminary evidence received from polling stations, which indicated weak enforcement of electoral rules and procedures on Election Day.
He informed reporters that FAFEN observers reported irregularities at polling stations, raising the possibility of rigging and vote fraud, the scale of which can only be ascertained by the vital information that ECP is withholding.
FAFEN also shared a 26-page report based on the findings and recommendations by the network in connection with recent elections.
