The Elections and Citizenship Commission (ECP) intends to strengthen the code of conduct for polls. The commission proposes that violators may be arrested for non-payment of fines, and their possessions may be sold at auction.
ISLAMABAD: To make the election’s code of conduct more stringent, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has prepared modifications.
The documents state that failure to comply with the electoral code of conduct and unpaid fines will result in property confiscation.
The Election Rules have undergone significant amendments suggested by the commission.
The idea states that people who break the law might be arrested for failing to pay a fee and have their homes put up for sale.
The code offenders will be held in detention for 10 days without being jailed.
According to the proposed rule, they will spend a month in jail if they still don’t pay the fee within 10 days.
Their real estate may be taken and sold at auction if the fine is not paid despite being sentenced to jail.
According to the proposed regulation, penalties under the Land Revenue Act of 1967 will apply if fines are not paid.
Under Section 80 of the Act, the district returning officer may impose fines.
The ECP recently changed the electoral laws to require that every polling agent be a registered voter in the corresponding constituency of any assembly where a general seat election was being held.
For this reason, the election authority had announced the adoption of a new clause to Election Rule 58 of 2017.
This rule stated: “Each contending candidate shall not appoint at any polling place more polling agents than the number of booths established at such polling place under Section 77.”
“Provided that the polling agent or agents so designated under Section 77 should be the voter of the constituency,” read the new clause that the ECP added after the previous one.
According to Section 77 (1) of the Elections Act, “the contesting candidate or their election agent may appoint for each polling station as many polling agents as may be prescribed and shall give notice in writing to the presiding officer communicating the appointment, either before the beginning of or during the poll.”
The Elections Act’s Section 239 gives the ECP the authority to enact regulations.
“(1) The Commission may make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act by announcement in the official gazette and posting on the Commission website,” it stated. (2) After considering any objections or suggestions submitted within fifteen days of the publication, the commission will make the rules outlined in subsection (1), subject to prior publication.
The affidavit that candidates for the assembly or Senate elections were needed to submit was also modified by the commission.
It is now a requirement for applicants to include information about their spouses and dependent children in part D of the affidavit.
Their names, birthdates, computerised national identity card numbers, and relationship to the candidate are among the information provided.
