ISLAMABAD, August 23, 2013: Citizens’ interest appeared to have dwindled in an otherwise peaceful and better managed by-election, notwithstanding procedural irregularities, that took place in...
Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) issued three short statements on Election Day, May 11, 2013, and a preliminary statement and report the day after the elections. The following report includes additional analysis of summary data received from more than 40,000 observers across the country. The ten themes in this report include voter turnout, barriers to women's voting, irregularities in polling stations during voting and counting procedures, and weak election results management. The report also includes sections on last-minute changes in polling schemes; pre-election violence, government interference and Code of Conduct violations; and constituency delimitations.
FAFEN observers recorded a total of 6,102 Code of Conduct violations. Of these, 30 were speeches arousing controversy or making personal attacks on rival candidates. Observers reported one incident of action against women voters and five incidents against female candidates. Other observed violations include the use of loudspeakers (512 instances), rallies causing inconvenience (227), illegal voter inducement (171), weapons display (130), and aerial firing/fireworks (40).
ISLAMABAD, May 9, 2013: Free and Fair Election Network’s (FAFEN) Long-Term Observers interviewed Returning Officers (ROs), District Returning Officers (DROs) and District Election Commissioners (DECs) in 48 constituencies and 35 districts, regarding their meetings with election stakeholders at district and constituency levels. These meetings, we believe, are essential for security and logistical planning and to ensure transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the administration of the elections says Pre-Election Update 41 released on Thursday.
ISLAMABAD, May 8, 2013: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) observers in 143 National Assembly (NA) constituencies reported 1,495 rallies of 23 political parties and independent candidates. FAFEN’s Constituency Long-Term Observers (CLTOs) saw an average of 9-14 rallies in each constituency of Punjab and Sindh, but only three rallies on average in constituencies of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), says Pre-Election Update 40 released on Wednesday.
ISLAMABAD, May 7, 2013: The number of pre-election complaints increased sharply in the last week of April 2013, with 1,476 complaints being registered with election officials between April 23 and 29, 2013, nearly twice the 747 complaints reportedly filed in the preceding week. Out of these complaints, nearly two-thirds (1,049 or 59.8%) were resolved, according to election officials’ records, while more than one-third (427, or 40.2%) remained unresolved, says the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).
ISLAMABAD, May 6, 2013: FAFEN observers recorded a total of 830 Code of Conduct violations between April 20 and 26, 2013. Of these, 10 cases were of speeches arousing controversy or personal criticism of other candidates. FAFEN Pre-Election Update 35 (April 26, 2013) reported 11 similar observed cases. A related FAFEN press release on April 30, 2013, urged ECP to take more action to “Stop Incitements to Sectarian Violence,” says Pre-Election Update 38 released on Monday.
ISLAMABAD, May 5, 2013: Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) observers witnessed a total of 70 government officials participating in political activities in 25 constituencies across the country. Thirty-six officials were seen seeking votes for different candidates in 12 constituencies, while another 17 officials were observed participating in political rallies, in 12 different constituencies, says Pre-Election Update 37 released on Sunday.
Pre-U36/29-April-2013: About three-fifths (447, or 59.8%) of the 747 complaints received by 197 Returning Officers (ROs), 39 District Returning Officers (DROs) and as many District Election Commissioners (DECs) between April 16 and 22, 2013, have been resolved successfully. Three hundred complaints (40.2%) were not yet resolved. The data was gathered by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) District and Constituency Long-Term Observers (DLTOs and CLTOs) across the country.
Pre-U35/26-April-2013: The Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) has deployed Constituency Long Term Observers (CLTOs) in every National Assembly constituency across the country to observe the pre-election campaign period. These CLTOs report violations of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Code of Conduct for Political Parties and Candidates, among other topics.
