lol exit polls would only mean one thing, more and more humiliation for the unpopular tyrant dictator:
By Dilshad Azeem
ISLAMABAD: The international observers coming to Pakistan to monitor the January 8 general elections may not be allowed to conduct exit polls or to make surprise visits or move freely wherever they want to.
“The observers will be barred to ask for comments on the spot or ask questions from the voters about their favorites at the polling stations,” official sources at the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) told The News here on Wednesday. :hehe:
The election staff, the sources said, would be fully authorised to stop the observers from taking part in the activities that may interfere with the smooth process of the polls. At least 2,000 foreign observers are expected to reach Pakistan to monitor the general elections indicating the immense interest of the international community about future scenario in Pakistan. Besides, there would be nearly 20,000 local observers who will be engaged in the process.
“The foreign observers will have to follow the internationally recognised code of conduct, besides the ECP has issued guidelines for them,” sources said. The guidelines are spread over 150 pages and include area-wise information about constituencies, polling stations and the relevant District Returning Officers, the officials maintained.
“The foreign observers will not be allowed to conduct surprise visits of the polling stations as they will have to get permission from the respective returning officers,” the sources said. :hehe: In response to a question, the officials said that not only the election commission but also the respective local governments will have to be informed about the polling station or the area they want to visit on polling day.
“There will be a complete restriction on foreign observers to query any voter about the name of the candidate or the party for which he or she has cast a vote while coming out of the polling station,” the official sources further said. “The exit polls are banned.”
The sources said that the respective district governments would make special arrangements for the observers to facilitate them in the areas they want to visit on or before the election day. “So everything will be under strict monitoring supervised by the authorities concerned.”
Asked to comment on these restrictions, Secretary of the Election Commission, Kanwar Dilshad, said that foreign observers would be restricted in the sense that they do not face or cause any security problem. “As far as we, the ECP, are concerned, there is no restriction or bar on the observers but they will have to observe certain rules and regulations.”
The secretary maintained that the ECP will hand over to the foreign and local observers a 150-page guideline in order to facilitate them for the elections. “The foreign observers will have to follow the international code of conduct while monitoring the polls in Pakistan.” Kanwar Dilshad said that the ECP guideline is meant to facilitate the observers while understanding and knowing about the location and background of the constituencies.
It just proves that election are nothing more than farce.