ISLAMABAD, June 2, 2016: By-elections in three Sindh Assembly constituencies held on Thursday witnessed a relatively higher incidence of violations, instances of deviations from polling schemes and suspicious voting patterns.

The three by-elections held for PS-22 in Nausheroferoz district and PS-106 and PS-117 in Karachi cumulatively recorded six violations of laws, rules and codes of conduct per polling station comparatively higher than recently held by-election in PK-08 Peshawar on May 12. Major contributor to this higher incidence of violations remained PS-22 Nausheroferoz where the number of violations remained nine per polling stations as compared to four in PS-117 and three in PS-106. Similarly, all of 20 instances of suspicious speed voting were witnessed in Nausheroferoz.

FAFEN observed by-elections by deploying 76 trained and non-partisan observers – 50 male and 26 female – to observe the proceedings at 282 polling stations established for three by-elections. This report includes information collected from 123 polling stations from where data was made available on Election Day. By-election at Nausheroferoz seat, won by a Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) lawmaker in General Election 2013, was necessitated by a Supreme Court order while Karachi constituencies fell vacant after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) lawmakers resigned to join Pak Sarzameen Party.

Election in Karachi constituencies was marked by heavy presence of security personnel where security personnel were witnessed to implement law on their own interpretation. FAFEN observers with due accreditation were not allowed to enter polling stations premises by security personnel at 10 polling stations – seven in PS-117 and three in PS-106. A total of 14 candidates were in the field for PS-106 with three belonging to political parties while 11 vying as independent candidates. In PS-117, a total of ten candidates were in the run, of these, six represented parties and four independents. As many as 30 candidates were there to claim PS-22 – seven representing parties and 23 independents. Number of voters registered for PS-22 Nausheroferoz witnessed an increase of 12% between Thursday’s by-election and General Election 2013. This ratio was lower for Karachi constituencies – 6% for PS-106 and 4% for PS-117.

FAFEN observers reported 743 violations from 123 polling stations – 55 in PS-22, 48 in PS-106 and 20 in PS-117. Observers witnessed polling agents of parties objecting to opening processes at three polling stations – two in PS-22 and one in PS-106. Election staff lacked adequate quantity of critical election material required to carry out voting operations smoothly and providing copies of count and ballot papers used at 143 polling stations – 98 in PS-22, 30 in PS-106 and 15 in PS-117.

FAFEN observers reported 360 instances of illegal campaigning and canvassing in and around polling stations with majority coming from PS-22 (207) against PS-106 (102) and PS-117 (51). At 13 polling stations in PS-22 Nausheroferoz, armed civilians were seen to be present inside party camps establish around polling stations. Election authorities appeared to be in control in terms of elimination of illegal party camps in Karachi constituencies where only six polling stations were reported to have illegal camps around as compared to 19 such camps in Nausheroferoz. Women voters faced difficulties in exercising their right to vote at Nausheroferoz where male staff was deployed at 66 polling booths to serve women voters. However, in Karachi seats, women staff was available to facilitate women voters.

A total of 14 instances of breach of secrecy of voters, all in Nausheroferoz, were witnessed. The ECP appeared to improve on the training of election staff as Presiding Officers at only five polling stations – four in Nausheroferoz and one in Karachi – told FAFEN observers that they did not attend ECP training on election management. No instance of violence was witnessed by FAFEN observers.

There were 31 polling booths at 20 polling stations – all at PS-22 Nausheroferoz – where FAFEN observers recorded suspicious voting patterns. If the polling is most efficient and it takes approximately a minute and 30 seconds for each voter for processing (checking of name, checking of CNIC, issuance of ballot paper, going behind secrecy screen, stamping a ballot and returning of stamp to the assistant presiding officer), there can be approximately 45 votes that can be cast in an hour at a booth. The following table gives booth-wise average of polled votes per hour. An average higher than 45 brings into question the speed with which the voters were being processed.

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