Election Observation Press Releases

ISLAMABAD, October 16, 2018: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) observed significant improvement in the quality of the election result management process during low-turnout October 14 by-elections, which remained peaceful throughout the day, says a press statement released on Tuesday. While a considerable decline in the turnout in these constituencies as compared to July 25, 2018 is disconcerting, the transparency and efficiency of vote counting at the polling stations and tabulation of the provisional results by the Returning Officers (Form-47-Provisional Consolidated Statement of the Result of the Count) was encouraging, improving the overall credibility of the electoral process. With the exception of PB-40 (Khuzdar-III), provisional results for the remaining constituencies were finalized by 2:00 am deadlines as stipulated by Section 13 (3) of the Elections Act, 2017. Read more

Preliminary Findings of Experiential Study by Coalition for Inclusive Pakistan (CIP) ISLAMABAD, September 25, 2018: Despite progressive legislative and policy measures to facilitate participation...

ISLAMABAD, July 24, 2018: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has been conducting periodic assessments of the political environment and the implementation of election-related laws, rules and regulations since January 2018, as part of its multi-phase observation of General Elections (GE) 2018. The purpose of the observation is to contribute to the evolution of an election process that is free, fair, transparent and accountable, in accordance with the requirements laid out in the Elections Act, 2017. FAFEN produces regular updates, information briefs and reports to provide objective, impartial and evidence-based information regarding the quality of electoral and political processes to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), political parties, the media, civil society organizations, and citizens. This assessment of polling stations comprises analysis of the Final Lists of Polling Stations available on the ECP’s website, and findings by FAFEN observers on the availability of facilities at 10,895 polling stations in sampled electoral areas, perceptions of 1,574 National Assembly (NA) candidates regarding the process of finalizing polling stations and estimations by 12,104 citizens concerning ease of access. As part of its election observation methodology, FAFEN randomly sampled 50 electoral areas in each NA constituency. Read More >>

ISLAMABAD, July 20, 2018: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) is observing the electoral and political environment in the country since January 2018. Following the announcement of the election program for General Election 2018, FAFEN expanded the scope of its election observation from the district to the constituency level. This Election Campaign Monitor is based on the direct observation of election campaign activities and implementation of Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Contesting Candidates, media monitoring of electoral violence, and citizens’ interviews on electioneering, voter freedom, women’s enjoyment of voting rights and voter inducement. As part of its election observation methodology, FAFEN randomly sampled 50 electoral areas in each National Assembly (NA) constituency. In each sampled electoral area, FAFEN interviewed three citizens, including women, to gauge citizens interest in participating in political gatherings and gather their views on the political environment, election campaign, and women’s freedom to vote. FAFEN observers also conducted an assessment of campaigning activities and recorded violations of ECP’s Code of Conduct in the sampled electoral areas. Read More >>

ISLAMABAD, July 15, 2018: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN), a coalition of over 50 leading civil society organizations, will deploy 19,000 observers across 272 National Assembly consistencies to observe the voting and counting processes at 85 percent of the total polling stations established by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the General Election to be held on July 25, 2018. Acceding to FAFEN’s request, the ECP has directed the Provincial Election Commissioners (PECs) in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh to issue accreditation cards to FAFEN observers after fulfillment of all codal formalities. FAFEN will deploy 9,884 observers in Punjab, 4,225 in Sindh, 3,549 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (including FATA), 1,117 in Balochistan and 225 in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). FAFEN’s accredited non-partisan and trained citizens will observe the Election-Day environment outside polling stations, incidents of electoral and political violence, pre-polling preparations at the polling stations, voting processes inside the polling booths and stations, ballot, vote counting and ECP forms-filling processes at the polling stations and the barriers to women voting. Read More >>

ISLAMABAD, July 1, 2018: The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has released its 5th Update of the Long-Term Observation of General Election 2018, containing information on the political and electoral environment in the country from June 1 to June 30, 2018. The Election Update also tells about the finalization of polling stations by the Election Commission of Pakistan, information on the nomination process of contesting candidates, inauguration of development schemes and the incidence of political and electoral violence, besides other issues of importance. Read More >>

ISLAMABAD, May 24, 2018: Unprecedented efforts of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and civil society in registering...

Election records of more than 62,506 candidates is now only a few clicks away ISLAMABAD, March 14, 2018: The Trust for Democratic Education and...

GHOTKI, March 5, 2018: Violations of code of conduct and unchecked campaigning and canvassing, marred the otherwise peaceful by-election for the Sindh Assembly seat...

SARGODHA, March 4, 2018: Procedural irregularities and weak enforcement of electoral laws characterized an otherwise peaceful but low turnout by-election of the Punjab Assembly...