Editorial
The Elections Act 2017 is a comprehensive law that regulates the conduct of elections in Pakistan. It was enacted by the Parliament of Pakistan on October 2, 2017, and replaced the previous eight laws related to elections. It is a principle enactment that regulates the whole process of electioneering in Pakistan. The fundamental purpose of the act is to ensure free and transparent elections in Pakistan’s parliamentary elections. It is a complete code for voters, political parties, candidates and the democracy in Pakistan.
The act establishes the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as an independent and autonomous constitutional body that is responsible for organizing and conducting free, fair and transparent elections in Pakistan.
Furthermore, it defines the procedure of the ECP, its powers and functions, its composition and appointment, its budget and finances, and its accountability and transparency.
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It provides for the delimitation of constituencies, the preparation and revision of electoral rolls, the nomination and scrutiny of candidates, the conduct of polls, the counting and consolidation of results, the resolution of disputes, and the announcement of election results. Furthermore, the act introduced several reforms and innovations to improve the electoral process, such as biometric verification of voters, electronic voting machines, postal ballots, overseas voting, proportional representation, gender quotas, and campaign finance regulations. It also deals with matters related to political parties, election observers, election expenses, election offences, election tribunals, and electoral laws.
The Elections Act 2017 is a landmark legislation that aims to strengthen Pakistan’s democratic system and ensure the participation and representation of all segments of society in the electoral process. It is based on the principles of equality, transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness. Therefore, it is important for political parties and candidates to know the act and prepare their electioneering and other political matters accordingly. The act is a guideline for political workers to ensure accountability and check and balance the performance of Pakistan’s Election Commission.
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