The Pakistani Spectator

Ever since the election campaigns started all opposition parties have been constantly complaining that the lota league candidates are using state machinery for their election campaigns with the help of local nazims. Ofcourse, these complaints have been dismissed by the lotas as just another excuse to loose the elections because supposedly they have carried out so much development work that they will sweep the elections.

According to the rules candidates are supposed to run their campaigns from their own funds and the use of state machinery is strictly prohibited.Any candidate who has any complaint against his rival can register a formal complaint with the ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan).The ECP will evaluate the evidence presented by the complainant, seek a report from the DRO (District Returning Officer) and accordingly take a decision. However, we have so far not heard of anything happening even though newspapers have reported lota candidates using state machinery.

In today’s newspaper I came across an interesting item.It stated that ECP is powerless against such candidates because it depends on the report of the DRO.It does not matter what sort of evidence is presented to them, they will only rely on the report of the DRO.If the DRO calls a lota an angel he will be treated as one.We hear about transparent ballot boxes and other things but why aren’t there any checks and balances to ensure that every official from top to bottom is performing his duty with full honesty and there is no pressure on him to give any false reports?But then again we live in a country where the defenders are trying to secure their own areas, the judges are under house arrest, the media cannot show the anchors of its choice so why should we expect any transparency in the elections?