ISLAMABAD(National Times)- The government on Tuesday formally approached the opposition to seek its representation on the proposed Parliamentary Committee on Electoral Reforms (PCER). However, the opposition termed the formation of the committee a “futile exercise” unless its long-standing demands were met.
The committee is being formed to make the electoral process fair, transparent and acceptable to all stakeholders.
Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry contacted PTI chief whip in the National Assembly Aamir Dogar, asking him to submit the names of opposition lawmakers for the committee.
When contacted, Mr Dogar confirmed that the minister had telephoned him to seek nominations.
He said the opposition would hold a meeting to discuss the invitation and the decision would be announced by National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai.
Questioning how the opposition could join the committee under the prevailing circumstances, Mr Dogar referred to the imposition of emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the alleged detention of the provincial chief minister and the arrest of more than 10 PTI leaders.
He also alleged that the PTI’s mandate had been stolen in the last general elections. “How can the government expect the opposition to sit with it on the committee under these circumstances?” he asked.
Mr Dogar also expressed reservations over the proposed composition of the committee and demanded equal representation for the government and opposition. Meanwhile, PTI’s interim Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan told reporters that the opposition would not oppose the committee if the dialogue was conducted sincerely.
The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a major ally of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has already approached opposition leaders Mehmood Khan Achakzai in the National Assembly and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas in the Senate, inviting them to join the proposed committee.
However, Mr Chaudhry said the committee was an initiative of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, not the PPP.
He said that if the opposition agreed to join, it would have to submit the names of its representatives to the speaker. Explaining the formula for representation, the minister said one committee seat would be allocated for every 16 members of the National Assembly.
On Monday, Mr Chaudhry contacted the ruling coalition’s allies and wrote separate letters to the PPP and MQM-P chief whips in the National Assembly, Ijaz Jakhrani and Aminul Haq, respectively, seeking nominations.
Under the proposed formula, the PML-N would have nine members, the PPP five and the MQM-P one, he said.
The minister said smaller parties allied with the ruling coalition did not qualify for representation under the agreed criteria. The PML-N had therefore decided to allocate one seat each to its smaller allies, including the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z), from its quota of nine seats.
He urged the opposition to join the committee, saying the initiative could also pave the way for consultations on other important national issues, including the long-delayed appointment of a new chief election commissioner (CEC).
CEC appointment
Meanwhile, PPP leader Naveed Qamar blamed the opposition for the delay in appointing a new CEC.
Speaking to DawnNewsTV’s Nadir Guramani, he said the appointment of a new CEC would benefit the opposition, which had repeatedly questioned the role of incumbent CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja.
He said that under the 26th Constitutional Amendment, the incumbent CEC would continue to serve despite the expiry of his term until a successor was appointed.
“We have also expressed displeasure to opposition leader Mehmood Achakzai for not meeting the prime minister under a constitutional requirement to hold consultations on the appointment of a new chief election commissioner. The opposition leader should not say that he cannot sit with the PM here or there,” he said.
“I think the ball is now in the opposition’s court as it has to remove all hurdles coming in the process of appointment of a new chief election commissioner,” he added.
