The following mention appeared in Dawn News on August 28, 2023, at the following link
https://www.dawn.com/news/1772589/delays-in-the-era-of-clicks
If the additional investment of Rs17 billion in digitising the current census is effectively utilised by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), it could hold elections earlier to potentially mitigate the economic toll of uncertainty that is being manifested in the markets.
By expediting the delimitation process, elections could take place in 2023. This could empower the next elected government to guide Pakistan towards sustained recovery, rekindling hope and restoring confidence among consumers and businesses.
A top source in the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics said that about half of the Rs34bn cost of the 2023 Census (7th) was directed towards digitisation (buying computer tablets for enumerators and training). This was reconfirmed by Salah Uddin Safdar of the Free and Fair Election Network.
The 2017 manual Census (6th) was initiated in March 2017. The provisional results were declared in August 2017, but it took five more years to publish the final results of the sixth census in March 2022 after clearance from the Council of Common Interest (CII).
The delimitation exercise based on the final report of the 2017 census took six months to complete. The ECP recently issued the four-month delimitation schedule. According to the ECP notification dated 17th August 2023, shared by a knowledgeable person and available with the online version of the article, it seems to be stretched unnecessarily.
“Dispatchers no longer need to be shuttled between departments carrying hefty files; it’s all about calls and clicks now. The digitised data with Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping can expedite the delimitation process. The whole cycle of election under the caretaker set-up needs to be readjusted to realise the dividends of technological modernisation. Moreover, apart from neutrality, accuracy and transparency, digitisation should also contribute to achieving swiftness in subsequent usage,” commented an expert.
Unsure about their reading of the power structure, the business leadership was reluctant to take a clear position on elections and their timings. Generally, business bodies dominated by traders seemed influenced by the PML-N narrative of delay in elections under ECP cover, while others were either indifferent or in favour of elections within 90 days, as the Constitution dictates.
“Political stability establishes a foundation of certainty and predictability that is indispensable for economic growth, necessary to afford livelihood for populous Pakistan. It stimulates investment, facilitates long-term planning, nurtures confidence in consumers and businesses, attracts foreign capital and enables consistent implementation of policies,” commented a top businessman privately.
“The last 2017 Census was published in 2022; all it needed was a little tweaking on the computer incorporating changes in already digitised 2023 data. This can easily be done in three to four weeks, and other provisions can also be adjusted if the ECP gets proficient and neutral in letter and spirit,” commented a watcher with a keen eye on details.
The data reflecting the state of the economy speaks loudly and clearly about the consequences of political instability. The volatility is evident in currency, capital and commodity markets. The rupee is currently trading around 315 to a dollar against 289 at the start of the month in the open market.
The Pakistan Stock Exchange index halted the climb and lost about 500 points this month. It was 48,000 on 1st August and closed last week at 47,671 points. There seems to be no respite in terms of remittances or inflation, and reserves are once again on a downward trajectory.
The former prime minister Shahbaz Sharif’s government exited on 9th August, and the Sindh and Balochistan governments were dissolved on 11th and 12th August. Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies were dissolved back in January this year on the 14th and 17th. The final date of general elections has yet to be announced by the ECP, but the schedule of the delimitation process declared suggests they will be held no sooner than March 2024 if things move as planned.
When reached for comments on the issue, ECP spokesperson Haroon Khan Shinwari responded: “Delimitation exercise started from 21st August 2023. After the completion of all legal phases, the list of all national and provincial constituencies will be published on 14th December 2023.
“The ECP is legally bound to conduct the delimitation after the publication of the final census report as per Article 51 (5) read with Section 17 (2) of the Election Act, 2017. The delimitation exercise also includes one month from 10th October to 8th November 2023 for filing appeals, proposals of representations, and objections before the Chief Election Commissioner.”
Ahmed Bilal Mahboob, founding president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency, supported the ECP position. “The Elections Act provides for 30 days to file objections against preliminary delimitation and another 30 days for hearing of objections and notifying final delimitation.
“In between, 15 days are also allocated for reviewing preliminary delimitation. The remaining one and a half months are apparently reasonable for collecting maps and developing preliminary delimitation proposals.
“I really don’t know if the digital census provides any advantage to the process of delimitation. Major work is about drawing constituencies’ boundaries while fitting new populations in them, attempting to keep each constituency as equal in population as possible,” he made a case.
