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Polls will be fair, says Pakistan Election Commission

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission on Wednesday rejected allegations from leading opposition parties that January polls will be rigged, insisting that the vote will be free and fair.

The body’s defence of its independence came amid claims by the former Prime Ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, that it was biased because it was appointed by President Pervez Musharraf.

The opposition leaders agreed to join forces on Monday and have now tasked their parties to compile a list of demands that they say the government must meet to stop their parties from boycotting the January 8 vote.

“The Election Commission is a constitutional body and it is fully independent to hold free, fair and transparent polls,” Commission’s secretary Kanwar Dilshad told AFP. “The entire election exercise is absolutely free, fair and transparent.

“More than 95 per cent of polling stations will be in schools or government buildings, but in some areas where there is no proper building, polling stations are established in tents or some other premises,” he said.

Addressing allegations that thousands of ballot papers would be stolen, Mr. Dilshad said they would be handed over to officials by January 5 and “there is no question of somebody getting hold of them.” Ms. Bhutto has said her party is contesting the polls “under protest”, partly due to the fact that the country remains under a month-old state of emergency.

She has objected to the setting up of “ghost” or improvised polling stations, bulk transfers of officials and allegations of a plan to steal thousands of ballot papers ahead of the election for pro-government candidates.

An aide to Mr. Sharif said on Wednesday a committee set up by the opposition could finalise its “charter of demands” for the government by the end of the day.

“The demands will be finalised today hopefully, or maybe tomorrow,” Ishaq Dar, a close aide of Mr. Sharif, told private Dawn television.

“If after a given cut-off date demands are not met, then... in that case the choice will be nothing but the boycott,” Mr. Dar added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan said it would not allow any foreign forces to carry out anti-terrorism operations within its territory, saying such an action would be “unacceptable.” Reacting to U.S. President George W Bush’s assertion that he would send forces inside Pakistan if he received good intelligence that Al- Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was hiding there, the Foreign Office said all anti-terrorism operations would be undertaken by Pakistani forces. - Agencies

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