Islamabad: The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has released a report stating that returning officers failed to fulfill legal demands during the general elections and urged the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to probe instances of non-compliance by returning officers (ROs) in 135 out of 265 constituencies during the general election.
According to the report issued by FAFEN as part of the assessment of the 2024 elections, the crux of concerns lies in Section 92 of the Elections Act, 2017, mandating ROs to prepare and announce Provisional Consolidated Statements of Results of the Count (Form-47) in the presence of contesting candidates, their agents, and authorized observers. However, in 135 out of 260 National Assembly constituencies, including 80 in Punjab, ROs reportedly failed to adhere to these stipulations, restricting FAFEN observers’ access to the tabulation process.
According to the assessment report, this action by the ROs has affected the efforts of the Election Commission for electoral transparency. ROs did not allow FAFEN observers to witness result preparation in 135 National Assembly constituencies.
In constituencies where observers were barred, PTI-supported candidates emerged victorious in 46, PML-N in 43, and PPP in 28. FAFEN stated that returning officers obstructed candidates and/or agents of electoral candidates from witnessing result preparation in 65 constituencies, raising questions about transparency and fairness. Out of these constituencies, 25 were won by PML-N, 24 by PTI-supported candidates, and 5 by PPP candidates.
Instances of Form-45 and Form-46 tampering were also reported, with bags containing these crucial documents being opened without proper oversight. Additionally, in 53 constituencies, ROs allegedly failed to rectify arithmetic errors in Form-45, as required by Rule 84(3) of the Election Rules, 2017.
According to the report, by 2:00 AM, the legal deadline for result preparation was only met in 4 electoral constituencies. In 80 observed constituencies, ballot boxes were opened without the presence of electoral candidates or their agents.
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