The government introduced the Elections Bill, 2017 envisaging electoral reforms, consolidate and unify laws relating to conduct of elections. Law Minister Zahid Hamid introduced the legislation in the House after the Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar.

The electoral reforms bill had been finalized after 118 meetings– 25 of the main parliamentary committee and 93 of its sub-committee headed by Law Minister Zahid Hamid. The committee adopted its report in last week of July, but it was not signed by major opposition parties.

Giving the salient features of the bill, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said eight laws were emerged in new draft bill of Election Laws 2017 and election rules comprised of 15 chapters were formulated. He said the financial and administrative autonomy has been given to the Election Commission of Pakistan in the new Election 2017 Bill.

The commissioners will have full financial powers, including creating posts within its approved budgetary allocations and all the expenditure of the ECP would be charged upon the consolidated fund.

The major reforms envisaged in the bill include strengthening of the Election Commission, which would be fully independent and autonomous. It has been delegated High Court powers for specific directions, administrative powers to control transfer of election officials and disciplinary action against them, full financial powers and powers to make rules without prior approval of the president. The commission would prepare a comprehensive action plan six months before the elections specifying all legal and administrative measures for the conduct of elections.

A number of initiatives have been suggested in the new bill regarding preparation of voters’ lists, delimitation, simplification of nomination papers, installation of surveillance cameras, penalties of violations, women voters turnout, powers of polling day officials, expediting election disputes, implementation of Code of Conduct and vote counting. Under the bill, the ECP will have full administrative powers to control and transfer election officials during elections and take disciplinary action against them for misconduct.

The election commissioner shall have full financial powers including powers to create posts within approved budgetary allocations. The ECP is also being empowered to make rules without prior approval of the President or the government as such rules will be subject to prior publication, seeking suggestions within 15 days of such publication.

Every member of an assembly or Senate will be required to submit annual wealth statement in the same form as submitted under the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. In case of failure to file wealth statement, the ECP may suspend membership of the defaulting member, and if the default continues beyond 60 days, it shall issue show cause notice for termination of his/her membership. The commission shall scrutinize the wealth statement and in
case it is found to be false, the commission may direct prosecution of the member for the offence of corrupt practice.

The electoral reforms would envisage consolidation of six laws, including Electoral Rolls Act, 1974; Delimitation of Constituencies Act, 1974; Senate Election Act, 1975; Representation of the People Act 1976; Election Commission Order, 2002; Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002; Political Parties Order, 2002, and Allocation of Symbols Order, 2002. It would establish a transparent Result Management System for expeditious counting, compilation and dissemination of the election results.

Maximum limits of election expenses shall be Rs4 million for the National Assembly, Rs2 million for provincial assembly and Rs1.5 million for Senate elections. (August 9, 2017)