ISLAMABAD, Dec 26 (KUNA) – Pakistan Wednesday said that it has processed the visa applications of 200 foreign observers to monitor forthcoming general elections, however, no observer from Commonwealth will be part of the observers team.
The cases of over 200 observers including journalists, members of the NGOs and officials have been completed and visas issued for the elections scheduled for January 8, said Foreign Office spokesman Muhammad Sadiq at his weekly press briefing here on Wednesday.
He said about 60 representatives of many countries have applied through International Republic Institute (IRI), an American organization to come to Pakistan for observing the election process.
Their cases have been finalized and visas issued to them, he added.
To a question, the spokesman said no visa has so far been rejected to any observer for the general elections scheduled for January 2008.
About the applications for the observers from Commonwealth, the spokesman said, CW has itself stated that it will review its policy towards Pakistan after the January 2008 election, therefore, so far CW is not sending any observer to Pakistan for these election.
The spokesman said further that the observers will be issued special passes and they will be allowed to visit any part of the country and go to any polling station to observe the election process.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has issued code of conduct for the international observers, he added
Re: Pakistan issues visas to 200 foreign election observers.
Foriegn Observers not allowed to interfere with Government planned rigging in elections :hehe:
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.
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. 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.
Re: Pakistan issues visas to 200 foreign election observers.
free and fair elections under Musharraf, yeah pigs will fly before that happens.
CGEP says the situation in Pak is not conducive for fair elections
Peshawar, Dec 26 (ANI): The Citizens Group on Electoral Process (CGEP), formed by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), has observed that the situation is not favourable for conducting fair elections in Pakistan.
The group said that the elected parliament is the only institution that should pass constitutional amendments according to the procedure laid down in the constitution, and that using other means would be invalid.
“All those forces, that want to restore the judiciary to its pre-November 2 status, should refrain from widening the differences between them and finds a way to work together towards restoring true democracy,” said the group.
It also said that the pre-poll phase of the electoral process had largely been manipulated in favour of the former ruling coalition supported by President Pervez Musharraf, and those citizens and various citizen groups who should closely monitor the remaining electoral process to collect specific evidence of any direct rigging and manipulation.
The group said that it would continue monitoring the electoral process and maintain close relationship with other credible election observers.
The group reviewed the constitutional and political environment ahead of the elections, focusing on the partisan role of President Pervez Musharraf, the weak position of the Election Commission (EC), caretaker governments in the centre and the provinces, curbs on the media and the crippling of an independent judiciary.