ISLAMABAD: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) said that large-scale deployment of police and Rangers ensured peaceful conduct during the by-elections in NA-258 (Malir, Karachi-XX).
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat boycotted the by-election, alleging interference by the Pakistan People’s Party-led (PPP) provincial government. This dampened the voters’ interest.
According to a press release, no candidate from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was set forth. PPP’s Abdul Hakeem Baloch was among the 11 candidates who were competing for the seat. Baloch previously won the same seat on a PML-N ticket in the 2013 general election, but resigned after developing differences with the party.
FAFEN trained and deployed 40 unbiased citizens (34 men and six women) to observe the polling procedures at 287 polling stations. This report contains telephonically gathered information from 127 polling stations. Observers were trained to observe the opening, closing and counting processes at the polling stations. According to FAFEN observers, voters showed little interest in the election as the overall turnout remained low. Observers reported procedural irregularities from different polling stations throughout the day, however, the electoral exercise remained peaceful.
There were 271 irregularity reports from 127 polling stations – 14 male, 14 female and 99 combined – on polling day, averaging 2.1 incidents per polling station. This was significantly higher than the average of one irregularity per polling station recorded during Shikarpur by-election (PS-11) last month. Election materials, such as election forms, were insufficient and that continued to be one of the major issues reported by the observers.
Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) code of conduct for political parties and contesting candidates that forbid contestants to establish camps within 400-yards of the polling stations could not be enforced by the extensive presence of security personnel. Observers reported the presence of such camps outside 31 (24.4%) polling stations. These camps continued to issue serial number slips holding the party symbol to potential voters. Voters carrying such serial number slips were seen inside 53 (41.7%) of the observed polling stations.
ECP showed a greater interest in monitoring its own staff as presiding officers at 27 polling stations told FAFEN observers that monitoring teams had visited their polling stations.
