(For The Daily Dawn)
Islamabad, the 27th August, 2005.- Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad, Federal Secretary, Election Commission of Pakistan has said that a news item appearing in a section of press to the effect that Election Commission has not declared results of Local Government Elections held in 1st Phase, is totally misleading, malicious and baseless. He said that the statement in question was issued by some politicians without verifying facts from Election Commission of Pakistan.
2. Secretary Election Commission clarified that immediately after the close of polling on 18th August, 2005, the counting was done by Presiding Officers at the polling stations in the presence of polling staff and polling agents. Copies of Statement of Count were provided to the Polling Agents present at the polling stations and also affixed outside the polling stations for information of general public. Later the Returning Officers after receipt of result from all Presiding Officers announced the result locally. This unofficial or preliminary result was then communicated to the Central Control Room/Result Receiving Centre in the Election Commission Secretariat, Islamabad. Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner Mr. Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar announced the first received preliminary result same night in a Press Conference covered by large number of representatives of print and electronic media. Arrangements were also made for supplying copies of preliminary results, as and when received in the Result Receiving Centre, to the representatives of media but except one news agency i.e. APP no one showed any interest in it. The APP Agency has faxed lot of results after receiving from the Result Receiving Centre to their agency for further publication. Further the newspaper “Kawish”, Hyderabad also published the Notification as well as results in the newspaper. Thus it is absurd to say that result of 1st Phase of Local Government Elections is not available.
3. Hon’ble Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commission firmly believe in openness and transparency in the election process. That is why representatives of media are allowed unrestricted access to the Central Control Room of Election Commission to get copies of results received, if they so desire. Preliminary results remained available in the said Control Room and any person interested in obtaining unofficial result could get a copy thereof.
4. Kanwar Dilshad further clarified that, thereafter, in pursuance of relevant provisions of law, the Returning Officers carried out consolidation of result in the prescribed manner. This consolidated or official result has also been published by the Election Commission of Pakistan in the official Gazette on 23rd August, 2005. The said Gazette is under print in Printing Corporation of Pakistan Press, Islamabad. Since it carries details of elections in respect of more than 3000 Union Councils, it is likely to take sometime. In the meantime, photo copies of the official result are available in the Election Commission Secretariat and in the offices of concerned Provincial Election Commissioner. Any person can inspect these results or obtain a copy thereof in the prescribed manner. The copies of official results have also been sent to the districts for facility of candidates. For the first time, the result of Local Government Elections held in the 1st Phase is also being published in the newspapers.
5. Secretary, Election Commission termed it as unfortunate that statements are issued by persons who are supposed to behave with responsibility, without verifying facts. He hoped that both politicians and media will in future verify facts from Election Commission of Pakistan before issuing or publishing such unfounded statements. All of us have to act with sense of responsibility if we want to strengthen democratic norms and culture in the country.