ISLAMABAD, March 03 (Online): Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has expressed its reservations over the election commission amendment ordinance promulgated by the government.
The ECP has conveyed its reservations to the ministry of parliamentary affairs through a letter. The commission has asked ministry of parliamentary affairs to take up the matter with the federal government.
The Election Commission has written to the ministry’s secretary and noted that through the promulgation of the ordinance, whereby Section 181A has been inserted in the Elections Act, 2017, members of the Parliament, provincial assemblies, elected members of local governments and public office holders have been enabled to visit or address public meetings during the poll campaign. “The Election Commission believes that the ibid ordinance will have a direct impact on the standards of elections as provided in Article-218 (3) and reiterated in the judgement supra-allowing public office holders with government portfolio will defeat the very purpose of the level playing field. Moreover, if at all, any amendment in the code of conduct was required, it should have been done as per procedure given in Section 233 of the Elections Act, 2017,” reads the communication sent to the ministry. The Election Commission wrote that it is, therefore, requested to kindly place the matter before the federal government for reconsideration of the subject amendment through the insertion of Section 181A in the Elections Act, 2017.
The ECP has said in its letter that the government should reconsider the amendments made through elections act amendment ordinance. The powers for preparing and amending the code of conduct rest with the ECP only.
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