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The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) on Thursday issued a report on the second phase of local government elections in Sindh, noting that while the electoral exercise had remained largely transparent and orderly, an unnecessary delay in the issuance of results marred the overall process.
According to the report, the voting process in the second phase remained fairly orderly compared to the first phase, when clashes were reported at several polling stations. “The election day environment was largely peaceful as FAFEN received only 14 reports of verbal altercations on Jan. 15, 2023, as compared to 55 incidents of violence including some physical and armed clashes during the first phase,” it said.
Discussing the voter turnout—which media reports have suggested was far lower than expected—the report said the turnout in Karachi and urban Hyderabad had been particularly impacted by the last-minute boycott of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan. However, it said, there was a significant turnout in Badin, Jamshoro, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allah Yar, Thatta, and Malir districts. It said Hyderabad’s turnout had remained at 40 percent, while less than 20 percent was witnessed in Karachi. In comparison, the turnout in the 2015 local government elections of Karachi and Hyderabad was 36 and 58 percent, respectively.
Regretting that allegations of rigging had impacted the transparency of elections, it warned that a similar situation during general elections would not prove beneficial. “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 Oct. 11, 2023,” it said, stressing that political stability could only be achieved through free elections. “Democracy will be weaker without fair elections,” it added.
To overcome the prevailing issues, said the FAFEN report, the Election Commission of Pakistan should try to address all legitimate concerns of political parties. “The Election Commission, at the same time, needs 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,” it said, adding that irregularities related to issuance of ballot papers should also be avoided.
On the release of results, FAFEN said that while the provisional results of Karachi were publicly available within two days despite allegations of manipulation and rigging, the consolidated results of Hyderabad were still awaited, exceeding the four days the ECP had reserved for the process.