ISLAMABAD, January 19, 2023: Voters in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions turned out variedly to elect more than 3,508 councilors in long-delayed local government elections on January 15, 2023, that remained peaceful and relatively orderly, but were tainted by allegations of rigging by major political parties over delay in the announcement of results by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The second phase of local government elections in Sindh was originally scheduled for July 24, 2022, but was delayed thrice due to floods, and later due to the unavailability of security officials to perform election duty. However, the Election Commission did not accede to the Sindh government’s request to further delay the election on the pretext of change in the number of union councils in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions that required fresh delimitation. The Commission’s refusal led to the polls’ boycott by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP), which expressed dissatisfaction over the quality of electoral rolls and delimitation. MQMP’s boycott also appeared to have resulted in a decline in voter turnout in Karachi and urban Hyderabad.

Controversies over the quality of electoral processes do not augur well, particularly when the political parties are preparing for General Elections that are constitutionally due by October 11, 2023. Many of these controversies stem from weaknesses in the legislative framework that governs elections, which need to be rectified through wide-ranging negotiations among all political actors coming together for electoral reforms irrespective of their political differences. Unless elections lead to political stability, the process of democratization will continue to weaken and so will the public trust in democracy and its ability to improve the social and economic well-being of the people. The Election Commission, at the same time, need to open up to political actors and address their legitimate concerns through the regulatory space available to it under the Elections Act, 2017, to ensure truly “inclusive” elections, minimizing the eventualities of poll boycotts by major political parties in future.

Despite controversies and uncertainty over the conduct of elections, an impressive number of people turned to vote in local government elections in Badin, Jamshoro, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Thatta, and Malir Districts. However, the voter turnout remained relatively lower in Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi West, Karachi South, Korangi, Hyderabad, and Kemari Districts. According to Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), the turnout in the Hyderabad Division remained more than 40 percent, while in Karachi it was less than 20 percent with the exception of Malir. The turnout in Karachi and Hyderabad Divisions remained at 36 and 58 percent, respectively, in the last local government elections held in 2015.

The voting process remained orderly, unlike the previous phase when instances of overcrowding at polling stations led to untoward situations. The legal and procedural irregularities and inadequacies concerning campaigning and canvassing inside and around the polling stations and the ballot issuance process observed during the first phase persisted during the second phase as well. The election day environment was largely peaceful as FAFEN received only 14 reports of verbal altercations on January 15, 2023, as compared to 55 incidents of violence including some physical and armed clashes during the first phase.

Although the provisional results of the Karachi Division were publicly available within two days amidst allegations of manipulation and rigging, the consolidated results of the districts in the Hyderabad Division are still awaited. The ECP had reserved four days from the polling day for consolidation of the election results in its original notification for the second phase dated June 10, 2022. FAFEN observers noted omissions and inadequacies in the polling station result forms [Form-XI (Statement of the Count)] recurring during the second phase. They reported cases where presiding officers did not duly fill out the result forms leaving empty sections made for recording polling stations’ names, registered voters, gender-disaggregated number of votes polled, and signatures of polling officials.

FAFEN recommends ensuring stricter enforcement of the code of conduct regarding campaigning and canvassing on election day, setting up adequately spaced polling booths, compliance with the voter identification and ballot issuance processes, availability of female staff at female polling booths, and provision of basic facilities at the polling stations before the General Elections to improve the polling day management.

The 16 districts of Karachi and Hyderabad divisions where local government polls were held during the second phase included Matiari, Tando Allahyar, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Jamshoro, Dadu, Badin, Sujawal, Thatta, Malir, Korangi Karachi, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi West, Karachi Central, and Kemari. A total of 4,412 seats for general members and/or Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of municipal committees, town committees, district councils, union committees, and union councils were to be filled, of which 862 were decided uncontested, while elections for 52 seats were postponed due to death of contesting candidates. In addition, no nomination papers were filed for 23 seats. As many as 18,108 candidates contested for the remaining 3,508 seats.

The ECP had set up a total of 8,706 polling stations – 1,204 male, 1,170 female, and 6,332 combined – comprising 30,399 polling booths – 15,649 male and 14,750 female – to facilitate 13,283,696 registered voters including 7,314,890 men and 5,968,806 women. Of 8,706 polling stations, 2,491 (29 percent) were declared highly sensitive and 6,215 (71 percent) sensitive.

FAFEN’s analysis is based on the observation reports received from trained and duly accredited citizen observers deployed at 343 (four percent of the total) statistically sampled polling stations including 225 combined, 61 male and 57 female polling stations. FAFEN deployed 104 observers, including 66 men and 38 women who observed the opening process at 90 polling stations, the availability of election staff and materials at the voting process at 953 polling booths, voter identification and ballot issuance processes for 1,121 voters, and counting process at 74 polling stations.

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The post Sindh Local Government Elections 2023 Phase II: Results Management Issues Overshadow Peaceful and Well-Managed Polling Day appeared first on Election Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, July 8, 2022: Around 40 percent of the registered voters turned out to vote in the first phase of the local government (LG) elections to elect 5,331 general members of Union Councils, Union Committees, Municipal Committees, Town Committees and District Councils, and Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of Union Councils and Union Committees in 14 districts of Sindh on June 26, 2022, resuming the process of strengthening the grassroots democracy. However, the results of the otherwise orderly and well-managed voting and counting processes are yet to be notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), indicating lapses in this crucial aspect of electoral integrity.

Considering the scale and complexity of the exercise, the polling day remained largely orderly and well-managed. However, scattered incidents of localized violence, legal and procedural irregularities and overcrowding at polling stations followed by allegations of rigging and manipulation of election results by contending parties need urgent attention of the ECP for improved legal and regulatory enforcement for the next phase of LG elections in Sindh as well as the overdue LG elections in Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Some of the key areas that need further reinforcement included check on the campaigning and canvassing on election day to minimize the possibility of violence, proper setting up of polling stations to avoid overcrowding, adherence to legal process by polling staff for voter identification to avoid both disenfranchisement and ensure only registered voters are allowed to vote, complete compliance with legal requirements for issuance of ballot papers, availability of female staff at female polling booths, greater investment in the training of polling staff, and provision of basic facilities at the polling stations.

The polling was held despite efforts and calls by all major parties including Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQMP), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for further delay in the long-overdue LG elections on various pretexts including need for further empowerment of local governments, updating electoral rolls and issues of delimitation. The uncertainty over the conduct of the polls prevailed until the last day. However, Election Commission’s resolve to hold the polls according to the schedule announced in April this year remained undeterred.

According to the ECP’s schedule, the election results were to be consolidated within four days of the polling i.e. by June 30, 2022, but the official results are still awaited. However, the available Form-XI (the Statement of the Count) of the polling stations suggest that 42 percent of the registered voters including 45 percent of the registered male voters and 40 percent of the registered female voters exercised their right to vote.

The 14 districts where first-phase LG polls were held included Jacobabad, Kashmore, Shikarpur, Larkana, Kamber Shahdadkot, Ghotki, Sukkur, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Tharparkar. A total of 6,277 seats for general members of 101 Town Committees, 23 Municipal Committees, 14 District Councils as well as general members and Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of 93 Union Committees and 794 Union Councils were to be filled, of which 946 were decided uncontested while 21,298 candidates contested for the remaining 5,331 seats.

The ECP had set up a total of 9,023 polling stations – 1,910 male, 1,895 female, and 5,218 combined – comprising 28,742 polling booths – 15,116 male and 13,626 female – to facilitate 11,304,860 registered voters including 6,147,442 men and 5,157,418 women. Of 9,023 polling stations, 2,145 (23 percent) were declared highly sensitive, 3,482 (39 percent) sensitive and 3,396 (38 percent) normal.

The report is based on the observation findings from 831 polling stations, which included observation of opening process at 199 polling stations and counting process at 180. Moreover, a general observation covering the availability of election staff and material at the booths was carried out at 1,959 polling booths, while a detailed observation covering voter identification, verification, and ballot issuance processes was conducted for 2,475 voters, who presented themselves to vote at 692 polling booths. FAFEN deployed 333 trained citizen observers – 224 women and 109 men – who were duly accredited by the ECP.

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Only 6,020 (six percent) of the 84,339 registered female voters exercised their right to vote in the by-election held on June 26, 2022. Of 28 female polling stations, 22 recorded less than 10 percent turnout with the lowest remaining one percent at Polling Stations No. 51 and 119. The votes polled by female voters in the constituency, however, made up 18 percent of the total polled votes. Under section 9(1) of the Elections Act, 2017, if the turnout of women voters is less than 10 percent of the total votes polled in a constituency, the Election Commission may presume that the women voters have been restrained through an agreement from casting their votes and may declare, polling at one or more polling stations or election in the whole constituency, void

Overall, 33,573 (18 percent) registered voters turned out to vote in the by-election. The constituency had recorded 37 percent turnout – 51 percent male and 18 percent female in General Election (GE) 2018 and 23 percent turnout – 33 percent male and 10 percent female – in by-election held in October 2018. There were three female polling stations with less than 10 percent turnout in GE-2018 and 21 in by-election 2018. The persistent low women turnout in the constituency necessitates targeted and urgent measures by the Election Commission to encourage women to vote during future elections.

Procedurally, the by-election witnessed irregularities mainly relating to secrecy of vote and campaigning and canvassing inside and around polling stations. According to FAFEN observers, 52 (29 percent) of 180 observed polling booths had secrecy screens installed in such a manner that might have compromised voter’s secrecy. In addition, 13 polling booths had CCTV cameras angled toward the portion of booth reserved for marking of ballot papers by voters.

The campaigning irregularities also persisted in the recent by-election. A majority of the observed polling stations (59 or 80 percent) had party camps in their legally-prohibited surroundings, while more than a third of those were actively involved in distributing campaign materials to potential voters. FAFEN observers also witnessed the presence of campaign materials of contesting parties or candidates inside 14 (19 percent) observed polling stations.

The voting process was reported to be orderly and peaceful across the observed polling stations. The polling staff was present at all observed polling stations while the election materials were also available in adequate quantities. The Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) and Polling Officers (POs) were duly completing all legal and regulatory requirements for voter identification and ballot issuance. FAFEN observers, however, reported 16 instances of voters being turned away from polling stations as their names were not on the electoral rolls of the station they were visiting.

The counting process was also compliant with the due procedural and legal requirements; however, the observers reported issues concerning the transparency of polling station results. The Presiding Officers did not paste Form-45 (Result of the Count) outside nine (50 percent) of the polling stations where counting was observed. Similarly, Form-46 (Ballot Paper Account) was not pasted in 11 (61 percent) instances.

For 188,084 registered voters in the constituency, the ECP had set up 124 polling stations, assigning more than 1,200 voters to 98 (79 percent) polling stations, which is a legally recommended limit of voters assigned to a polling station.

Three political parties i.e. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Awami National Party (ANP) and Tehreek-e-Inqlab Siyasi Tehreek (TIST) fielded their candidates for PK-7 Swat-VI by-election while one candidate ran independently. According to Form-47 (Provisional Consolidated Statement of Results of the Count), PTI’s candidate Fazal Moula won the by-election securing 17,395 (52 percent) polled votes while ANP’s Hussain Ahmed Khan remained runner up with 14,604 (44 percent) votes. Moreover, two percent (770) of the polled votes were excluded from the count.

During the General Election 2018, PTI’s candidate Mr. Amjad Ali had won this constituency while the ANP’s Waqar Ahmed Khan remained the runner-up. However, Mr. Ali vacated the seat to retain another seat that he had won. Former runner-up Mr. Ahmed won the seat in the by-election held on October 14, 2018 defeating PTI’s candidate Fazal Moula. The seat fell vacant again due to the death of Mr. Waqar Ahmed Khan on April 30, 2022 necessitating a second by-election in the constituency.

FAFEN had deployed a total of 19 non-partisan and trained observers including 12 men, six women and one transgender. These observers were allowed to observe the voting process at 74 polling stations and counting processes at 18 polling stations. FAFEN observers were duly accredited by the Election Commission of Pakistan in compliance with the requirements of section 238 of the Elections Act, 2017.

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FAFEN’s review of the Preliminary Report of Delimitation and the List of Constituencies aims to furnish initial recommendations for improvement in the quality of delimitations as well as to encourage an informed public discourse on this critical aspect of the electoral process in Pakistan.

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QUETTA, June 03, 2022: Balochistan completed the first phase of the local government (LG) polls to elect over 6,000 general councilors in an election that remained controversy-free followed by prompt acceptance of the results by all major political parties. Such an acceptance augurs well for democracy and development in the province where the integrity of electoral exercises has previously been questioned.

Despite sporadic illegalities and irregularities, the elections remained largely peaceful, orderly and better-managed. Campaigning and canvassing around polling stations, non-provision of copies of result forms to polling agents, inconsistent compliance with the legal provision to permit voters present inside the polling station after 5:00 pm to cast their vote and issues of secrecy of voters remained some of major areas that need to be stringently enforced. FAFEN observers reported large number of voters turning out to vote on election-day. Although majority of polling stations (65 percent) were categorized as sensitive or most-sensitive security-wise, the election-day remained largely peaceful with scattered incidents of local violence reported in 23 districts.

Election Day followed a highly competitive campaign with political parties and independent candidates freely canvassing in a largely peaceful environment. As many as 17,774 candidates – 17,642 male and 132 female – were in the run for general seats fielded by 17 political parties in 6,259 wards (5,345 rural and 914 urban wards) in municipal corporations, municipal committees and union councils. The ECP had set up a total of 6,237 polling stations – 671 male, 652 female and 4,914 combined. These polling stations had a total of 13,533 polling booths including 6,867 for men and 6,307 for women to facilitate 3,614,724 voters – 2,043,828 male and 1,570,896 female voters.

Following the May 29 elections of representatives on general seats, ECP is now due to hold indirect elections for the seats reserved for women, peasants or workers, and religious minorities, and the elections for Chairmen and Vice Chairmen of the local councils. Moreover, the ECP has yet to announce schedule for general seats elections in two major districts with sizeable urban population in the province i.e. Quetta and Lasbela, which were earlier withheld because of issues with the delimitation of wards.

After the expiry of LGs in Balochistan on January 27, 2019, it took over three years for ECP to conduct LG elections as these continued to face delay on one pretext or the other by the provincial government. Lack of consensus among political parties over amendments to the Balochistan LG Act (BLGA), 2010 and delimitation of constituencies remained the primary hurdles before the conduct of election. The Balochistan Assembly in February 2019 and April 2022 recommended to the Election Commission through resolutions postponement of the LG polls due to impending amendments to the BLGA and subsequent delimitations. The provincial government had also petitioned the Election Commission to withhold the elections to allow introduction of necessary amendments to the BLGA, 2010. However, a three-member bench of the ECP rejected the petition on April 14, 2022 and announced the date for election-day.

Scattered incidents of localized violence in 23 districts partially disrupted the polling processes on election-day. FAFEN observers reported 63 incidents of violence inside or around 53 polling stations. A majority of these were verbal brawls and scuffles between workers of contesting candidates and political parties, while a few incidents of armed and unarmed physical clashes were also reported. As many as six persons including a child were reportedly injured due to these armed and unarmed physical clashes. In addition to FAFEN observation, local media also reported various incidents of armed and unarmed clashes resulting in at least one death and multiple injuries.

Though the Election Commission has taken extraordinary measures over the last few years to improve inclusivity of elections particularly by focusing on women, persons with disabilities and transgender people, women participation as candidates has remained a cause of serious concern. As witnessed during Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) LG elections, only 132 women (less than one percent) contested in various wards in urban and rural councils of Balochistan. No woman contested elections on any general seat in 10 districts – Killa Abdullah, Chaman, Nushki, Chagai, Zhob, Sherani, Killa Saifullah, Harnai, Ziarat and Surab. Such low contestation by women reinforces the need for political parties to reform their local structures and organization to encourage more women and other members of marginalized segments of population to emerge as leaders.

This preliminary report is based on the observation of over 12 percent of 6,237 polling stations on which elections were held for the first phase of LG elections. This includes reports from 128 male polling stations, 93 female polling stations and 527 combined polling stations. FAFEN deployed 266 nonpartisan Election Day observers – 70 women and 196 men – to observe the voting and counting processes at around 15 percent of the total polling stations across 32 districts. Each observer was required to observe up to four polling stations for in-depth observation of the quality of the electoral processes. FAFEN’s observation methodology is based on the BLGA, 2010 (as amended up to April 2019), the Elections Act, 2017, the Elections Rules, 2017, and the Codes of Conduct notified under the laws. For the training of FAFEN’s election-day observers, as many as 25 training workshops were held across the province covering technical aspects of voting and counting processes.

To download the complete report, click here   |  To download Urdu Press Release, click here

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ISLAMABAD, April 5, 2022: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) successfully completed the second phase of the local government (LG) elections with around 41 percent of the 8.5 million registered voters in 18 districts turning out to vote on March 31, 2022 to elect 12,875 representatives on general and reserved seats in an election that was largely peaceful, orderly and transparent. Although the ballots excluded from the count were more than the margin of victory in 28 tehsil contests for the seats of chairmen, the election outcome was accepted by all contending political parties.

Against the backdrop of political uncertainty amid the impending no-confidence motion (NCM) against the Prime Minister and resulting political fragmentation, the election process remained largely peaceful with a reasonable voter turnout. The election remained highly competitive as political unity among opposition parties at the center did not translate into electoral alliances or seat adjustments at the local level. As many as 34,734 candidates including the ones fielded by 25 political parties were in the run for general and reserved seats at the tehsil, neighborhood and village council level.

In what was an undeniably a complex, complicated and largescale electoral exercise with more than over 72,000 deployed election officials to manage 6,170 polling stations (3,951 combined, 1,151 male and 1,068 female) comprising 16,509 polling booths (9,218 for men and 7,291 for women), KP has become the first province to have fulfilled its constitutional responsibility under Article 140-A(1) to form the third-tier of governance providing representation to local representatives including the marginalized communities such as peasants, workers and women. However, the election followed a delay of more than two years primarily due to weak political will to decentralize powers that manifested in the shape of legal complications and inadequacies. The provincial government legalized the delay through an amendment in the KP Epidemic Control and Emergency Relief Act, 2020 on the pretext of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The ECP had initially scheduled the second phase of KPLG to take place on March 27, 2022, but the date was changed to March 31, 2022 following the Supreme Court’s reversal of an earlier order by the Peshawar High Court that required the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold these elections after Ramadan. The KPLG elections during the second phase were held to elect mayors of two city councils, chairmen of 63 tehsil councils, and members of 1,659 village councils and 171 neighborhood councils across 18 districts including Abbottabad, Swat, Malakand, Upper Chitral, Lower Chitral, Lower Dir, Upper Dir, Shangla, Tor Garh, Lower Kohistan, Upper Kohistan, Kolai-Palas, Mansehra, Battagram, Kurram, Orakzai, North Waziristan and South Waziristan. The elections were postponed in a neighborhood council (NC) Sainabad (Mansehra) due to wrong allotment of the election symbol, and two village councils – VC Wahab Khel (Shangla) and VC Mekahband (Malakand) – due to the deaths of the contesting candidates. Moreover, the voting at 18 polling stations in eight districts (South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Kolai Palas, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Kurram, Upper Kohistan and Battagram) was halted and subsequently postponed due to incidents of violence.

The number of ballots excluded from the count at the polling station level was disconcerting, and remained almost seven percent (177,375) of the total votes polled (2,642,982). Of the 54 provisional results announced so far, there were 28 tehsils where the margin of victory was less the total number of ballots excluded from the count of the contests of seats of chairmen. For instance, in Kalkot tehsil of Upper Dir, the margin of victory between the winning and runner-up candidates from the chairmen seat was of seven votes, whereas the total ballots excluded from the count were 1,633. The Election Commission may ascertain the reasons for exclusion of ballots as per Section 8(b) of the Elections Act, 2017 to inform its voter information and education campaigns for future elections.

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ISLAMABAD, December 21, 2021: Pakistan inched towards the installation of the constitutionally-promised local governments (LGs) when around 40 percent of registered voters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) turned out to vote on December 19, 2021 in 17 districts to elect more than 14,000 representatives on general and reserved seats, and four city mayors and 60 tehsil chairmen in an election that remained largely orderly, lawful and transparent but fell short on complete compliance with procedural formalities, and registered a considerable percentage of votes that were excluded from the count at the polling stations.

In what was undoubtedly one of the largest and most complex electoral exercises in the country, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been able to manage the pre-election and election day processes by law and procedures, despite last minute court orders that had declared the legal scheme of LG elections – that were to be originally contested on a non-party basis – ultra vires to the Constitution. Despite fears of an inordinate delay, the Election Commission ensured the electoral exercise to be conducted by the original schedule, setting the ball rolling for the establishment of the third-tier of the government, which had been on hold for more than two years in all federal entities due to legal hitches curtaining the absence of political will to decentralize and devolve powers to the grassroots.

The KPLG elections during the first phase were held in Peshawar, Buner, Bajaur, Swabi, Nowshera, Kohat, Karak, Charsadda, Dera Ismail (D.I) Khan, Tank, Haripur, Mardan, Bannu, Khyber, Mohmand, Hangu and Lakki Marwat. During this phase, the LG elections were held for four city mayors of Kohat, Peshawar, Mardan and Bannu. The election for the city mayor of D.I. Khan was postponed due to the assassination of the Awami National Party (ANP) candidate. Moreover, the LG polls were held for 60 tehsil chairmen, and more than 2,200 village and neighborhood councils. The ECP had set up a total of 9,132 polling stations including 3,340 male, 2,978 female and 2,814 combined. These polling stations had a total of 28,883 polling booths including 16,327 for men and 12,556 for women to facilitate 12,668,862 registered voters – 7,015,767 men and 5,653,095 women.

A lower turnout than the General Elections (GE) 2018 was recorded during these elections. The turnout remained around 40 percent during the KPLG elections as compared to 45.8 percent in GE-2018. However, the turnout in the current LG elections is almost equivalent to 2015 LG elections, when it remained 40.50 percent for the province. According to the unofficial results of 46 tehsils released by the ECP, the turnout remained 40 percent – highest being 60 percent in Paroa in D.I. Khan and the lowest 22 percent in Tall in Hangu. These turnout figures have been prepared on the basis of Form XIX (Provisional Consolidated Statement of Results of the Count) for the seats of tehsil chairmen and city mayors.

Expectation of a high turnout may have not been met due to multiple factors but not excluding a general distrust in the efficacy of LGs, which have largely remained under-powered to deliver upon the expectations of people during their last tenure 2015-2019. However, the gender disaggregated turnout is not available as the 26 Forms XIX do not contain this data. According to available gender-disaggregated data for 20 tehsils, female turnout remained 16.69 percent as compared to 26.96 percent male turnout. At none of these tehsils, for which gender-disaggregated data is available, the turnout of women remained less than 10 percent of the total polled votes.

More concerning, however, is the number of votes excluded from the count, which stands at seven percent, according to these provisional results. As many as 25 of these provisional results have a Margin of Victory which is less than the number of ballots excluded from the count, though the decision for the final rejection of these excluded ballots will be made after their review by the Returning Officers (ROs) during the proceeding for results consolidation to be completed on December 24, 2021. Of these, eight tehsils are won by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), six by Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (JUIP), five by Awami National Party (ANP), two by Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PMLN), one each by Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and Tehreek-e-Islahaat Party (TIP), and two by Independents.

The positive aspect of these elections is the prompt acceptance of their results by all major political parties in the province particularly the senior leaders of incumbent PTI, which lost ground to rival opposition parties in many of its strongholds. This will augur well for democracy and may just be the first in Pakistan’s political history where election results have generally been challenged and electoral defeats not generously accepted. Other major political parties have also accepted the voting and counting processes as largely legitimate, and have yet to contest their quality, notwithstanding some isolated complaints, and scattered and localized incidents of violence that disrupted the polling on election day and in some cases compelling the Election Commission to order either cancellation of election or re-polling. The elections for tehsil and village (VC)/neighborhood councils (NC) in Baka Khel Wazir, Bannu will be rescheduled. Similarly, the elections were postponed in seven VCs and NCs in four districts – VC Kot Esa Khan and VC Rata Kulachi-1 in D.I. Khan, NC Baghe Irum and NC Kot Ismail Zai in Mardan, VC Azam Michankhel in Lakki Marwat, and VC Nawa in Bajaur due to deaths of contesting candidates. Moreover, the voting at six polling stations in Peshawar was halted and subsequently postponed due to incidents of violence on the election day. However, an exhaustive list of polling stations where the Election Commission would order re-polling is still awaited.

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The seat had fallen vacant after the death of a Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s (PML-N) member who had won the constituency during the General Election (GE) 2018 defeating the PTI candidate. The constituency registered a marked decrease in the turnout as compared to GE-2018 when it remained at 51.9 percent. The decrease may be attributed to the absence of the PTI’s candidate from the by-election.

The by-election came under the spotlight after allegations and counter allegations of vote-buying by candidates of PML-N and Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), which compelled the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to order an inquiry, though the findings are still pending.

The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) deployed 30 trained, non-partisan and duly accredited observers (18 men and 12 women) to observe a total of 120 polling stations across the constituency. FAFEN observers observed the process of opening of polling stations as well as voting and counting processes at selected polling stations, and documented their observations on the standardized checklists based on the Elections Act, 2017, Elections Rules, 2017, ECP handbooks for elections officials and relevant notifications and directions of the ECP. This preliminary report is based on the observations received from 79 polling stations.

According to FAFEN observers, the election-day remained largely peaceful and orderly with no major incident affecting the voting and counting processes. As many as 96 percent of 224 voters interviewed by FAFEN observers expressed satisfaction with their voting experiences after casting their ballots. The ones who were not satisfied quoted long distances to polling stations from their homes, and the inadvertent long-wait in voting queues as the reasons for their dissatisfaction.

With the exception of one observer, none of the observers were restricted from observation and were given full access to observe the voting and counting processes inside the polling stations – a marked improvement in the electoral transparency as compared to previous by-elections when reports of restrictions on observers were received. Although a majority of the polling stations were being managed by security officials who were only allowing voters and authorized officials inside the polling stations, FAFEN observers reported unauthorized persons inside at least four polling stations. However, generally, the security officials deployed at the polling stations were observed following the ECP-prescribed code of conduct.

One of the most common illegalities reported by the observers remained campaigning and canvassing by candidates around the polling stations, which has also been a most occurring issue in other elections. FAFEN observers reported campaigning and canvassing outside 94 percent of the observed polling stations. Such campaigning and canvassing around polling stations at times also become a source of election-day violence due to intense competition and may also create an atmosphere of intimidation for voters.

Despite a legal requirement, according to FAFEN observers, the Presiding Officers did not remove campaign materials from inside nine polling stations and outside the walls of 18 polling stations. Similarly, voters were seen with voter parchis from the party camps, which contain their serial number on the electoral rolls. Again, a common illegality that continues to persist during FAFEN’s observation of the recent by-elections. At five polling stations, the Presiding Officers did not seek signatures of polling agents on Form-42 (statement regarding inspection of ballot boxes before start of poll) after showing them empty ballot boxes before the start of polling as required by the law.

In addition, workers of contesting candidates were seen providing transportation to their voters. This is another illegality that the ECP has yet to completely eradicate from the election processes. Such practices, if not controlled, create a disadvantage for candidates belonging to low income groups. Moreover, the cost incurred on voters’ transportation on election-day is not declared as an election expense by the candidates as this is not a permissible cost under the code of conduct for contesting candidates and political parties.

Though the ECP had instructed the polling staff to strictly comply with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for containing the spread of the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), at 35 percent polling stations, COVID SOPs were not followed. Similarly, at 41 polling stations, the poster containing COVID-19 safety measures was missing.

The ECP had set up 254 polling stations – 100 male, 100 female and 54 combined – in the constituency, comprising 831 polling booths – 436 male and 395 female. Although the law encourages the Returning Officers to assign not more than 1,200 voters to any polling station and not more than 300 per booth, there were 208 polling stations exceeding the legally encouraged scheme. Most of the Presiding Officers had set-up multiple booths in a single room, which led to overcrowding during voting rush hours. Polling station management along with a higher number of voters assigned to a polling station at times leads to chaos and disorder, which slows down the voting, and may also cause voter suppression as many voters turn away to avoid unnecessary wait or untoward situations.

FAFEN observers reported some incidences of disorder at polling stations as well as instances of voters being turned away for not being registered at the polling stations.

As many as 440,485 voters – 233,558 male and 206,927 female – were registered to vote for the by-election, as compared to 371,676 in GE-2018, registering an increase of 68,809 voters, 30,798 male and 38,011 female voters.

Four political parties – PML-N, PPPP, First Democratic Front (FDF) and Tehreek-e-Islahate Pakistan (TIP) – had fielded their candidates for the by-election, while seven candidates ran independently. The Returning Officer had rejected the nomination papers of the PTI’s main and covering candidates, a decision later upheld by the Election Tribunal.

NA-133 Lahore-XI consists of areas including Green Town, Township, Chungi Amar Sidhu, Pindi Rajputan, Kacha Jail Road, Kot Lakhpat, Model Town’s Q Block flats, Wafaqi Colony and parts of Johar Town.

To download the report, click here

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FAFEN observers had reported an average of one violation per observed polling station in the last by-election, which was held on a Sindh Assembly seat in Badin district (PS-70 Badin-I) on May 20, 2021.

Illegal campaigning and canvassing around majority of the observed polling stations for PP-38 by-election was observed. FAFEN observers found candidates or contesting parties’ camps set up in the vicinity of 88 percent observed polling stations. The compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for COVID-19 prevention showed a varied trend across the constituency with nearly 50 percent of the observed polling stations partially enforcing the SOPs.

Although lower in number if compared with the constituency turnout during general elections 2018, by-election on PP-38 Sialkot attracted a large number of voters despite rainy weather and ongoing fourth wave of COVID-19 pandemic with 55.3 percent voters- 56.6 percent men and 53.9 percent women- coming out to vote for Wednesday’s by-election. During general elections, the constituency had witnessed a cumulative turnout of 59 percent. However, PP-38 by-election turnout is greater than the recent by-elections for NA-249 Karachi West-II, PS-70 Badin and PP-84 Khushab-II, which registered a turnout of 22 percent, 35 percent and 53 percent, respectively.

FAFEN deployed a total of 33 non-partisan, trained and duly accredited observers- 25 men and eight women- to observe the polling processes at 126 polling stations – 30 male, 33 female, and 63 combined.

As for polling arrangements, election authorities had assigned more than 1,200 voters to a polling station, which is a legally recommended limit of voters on a polling station, at more than two thirds of the polling stations (114 or 69 percent). FAFEN observers reported more than one polling booth in the same room at 48 polling stations – 11 male, 18 female, and 19 combined – making the polling space congested for voters.

The seating arrangements for the candidates’ polling agents at 122 (97 percent) observed polling stations, however, were observed to be proper enabling them to observe the polling processes firsthand and raise objections or make challenges.

The observers found election materials in adequate quantities at all observed polling stations except one. Moreover, all due arrangements were made at the polling stations to protect the secrecy of voters except for five polling stations where secrecy screens were placed improperly compromising the secrecy of voters’ choice.

FAFEN observers interviewed at least three voters outside every observed polling station about their satisfaction with the polling processes and the overall environment of the by-election. Voters outside 104 (83 percent) polling stations expressed their satisfaction with the entire polling process. Voters outside 16 (13 percent) polling stations were partially satisfied. Only one interviewer expressed complete dissatisfaction with the polling process.

Three political parties i.e. Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had fielded their candidates for PP-38 Sialkot-IV by-election while five candidates ran independently. A comparison of votes polled to two main contenders (PTI and PML-N) during GE-2018 and recent by-election shows a marked increase in PTI’s vote share, which rose from 32.8 percent in 2018 to 48.5 percent in 2021 while PML-N’s vote share slightly decreased from 46.6 percent to 43.6 percent. PTI candidate has returned from the constituency, as per provisional result, by securing 62,657 votes.

The by-election was necessitated due to the death of PMLN Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Chaudhry Khush Akhtar Subhani, who had won this constituency during the GE-2018 by securing 57,617 votes.

Detailed report can be accessed at: FAFEN’s PP-38 By-Election Observation Report

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As many as 58,545 registered voters – 33,751 (36.8 percent) men and 24,794 (32.9 percent) women – exercised their right to vote during by-election. The by-election recorded a turnout of 35.10 percent of registered voters- dropping from 53.67% percent recorded for the constituency during GE-2018 as hot weather and COVID-19 spread remained a challenge for voters to come out and cast their ballot. The low incidence of procedural violations was observed due to improved election management averaging almost one irregularity per polling station like by-election held on May 5, 2021 in PP-84 (Khushab-III, Punjab). Five political parties fielded their candidates in by-election, while one candidate contested independently. The winning candidate scored 79.29 percent of the polled votes while the runner-up candidate obtained 10.64 percent of the polled votes.

FAFEN’s trained citizen observers reported a total of 110 violations of electoral laws, rules, and/or various codes of conduct issued by ECP for the conduct of elections, averaging around one per observed polling station. FAFEN deployed 29 non-partisan and duly accredited observers—24 male and five females—to observe the polling process at 105 polling stations (26 male, 18 female, and 61 combined).

The compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for COVID-19 prevention showed a varied trend across the constituency with only 48 percent of the observed polling stations strictly enforcing the SOPs. Majority of the observed violations were of ban on campaigning and canvassing in surroundings of the polling stations. FAFEN observers found candidates or contesting parties’ camps set up in vicinity of 35 percent polling stations.

As far as polling station arrangements are concerned, 36 polling stations—10 male, five female and 21 combined—housed more than one booth in a single room making the polling space congested. A total of 77 out of 123 polling stations were allocated more than 1,200 voters. However, the seating arrangements for the candidates’ polling agents at all polling stations was seen to be proper and enabling for them to observe the polling process firsthand and raise objections, if any.

The observers found election materials in adequate quantities at 101 of the observed polling stations but scarcity of election material was reported at four polling stations. All due arrangements were made at the polling stations to protect the secrecy of voters except at four polling stations where secrecy screens were placed improperly that allowed people inside polling booth to watch voters marking their choice on ballot paper.

Observers representing the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) asked voters how satisfied they were with the voting process. Voters outside 97 polling stations—25 male, 15 female, and 57 combined—expressed their complete satisfaction with the voting process. In contrast, voters outside the remaining polling stations said they were partially satisfied. None of the interviewed voters express complete dissatisfaction with the process.

As many as five political parties had fielded their candidates for PS-70 by-election, while one candidate contested independently. A comparison of main contesting parties (PPPP and JUIP) through Forms-47 – provisional consolidated statement of results of the count – of GE-2018 and by-election 2021 shows an increase in percentage vote share of PPPP from 58.37 percent in GE-2018 to 79.28 percent in by-election 2021 and of JUIP from 3.6 percent to 10.64 percent.

The by-elections were necessitated due to the death of Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentarian’s MPA Bashir Ahmed Halepoto on March 23 who had won this constituency during the General Elections 2018 by securing 44,385 votes. His nephew Dada Muhammed Halepoto of PPPP won Thursday’s by-election by securing 79.29 percent (46,420) of the total polled votes.

To download this report, click here

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