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ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja has claimed that he supports the use of technology in the electoral process, however, “the technology should be such on which all the stakeholders have consensus, people can easily exercise their right to franchise and secrecy of vote could be ensured.”
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Sikandar Sultan Raja had been in controversies for his perception of being against the use of technology such as Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). In the last week of October, he accused Punjab government of “adding EVMs in a bill for conducting local government polls to create problems.”
Addressing an event in Islamabad today in connection with National Voters Day, he said steps had been taken to ensure transparency in the elections, and action had also been taken against elements who tried to resort to lawlessness and irregularities during the electoral process. He said as a result of these steps, the confidence of people on elections, democratic process and the election commission has increased.
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The Chief Election Commissioner said an effort has also been made to ensure implementation of election code of conduct by taking across the board action against its violators.
Sikandar Sultan Raja said the election commission supports the use of technology in the electoral process. But the technology should be such on which all the stakeholders have consensus, people can easily exercise their right to franchise and secrecy of vote could be ensured.
اگر الیکشن کمیشن نیوٹرل ہوگا تو جمہوریت مضبوط ہوگی، چیف الیکشن کمشنر سکندر سلطان راجہ#TheVerified pic.twitter.com/0Z2HF6or02
— The Verifíed (@TheVerifLive) December 7, 2022
He said we have not opposed the EVMs or the voting right of overseas Pakistanis but there should be a method for this. He said “we cannot make the general elections controversial in any haste.”
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Describing the local bodies as the most important one, Sikandar Sultan Raja said his institution is serious in their conduct.
He said the process of local government elections has been completed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Local government elections in the federal capital will be held on the 31st December while the second phase of local bodies elections in Sindh will be held on 15th of next month. He said polling for the local bodies in the flood affected areas of Balochistan will be held on Sunday.
The Chief Election Commissioner said we are also ready for the local government elections in Punjab and these will be held in the last week of April.
