ISLAMABAD, Jan 03 (APP):Coalition for Ele
ctions and Democracy (CED), a coalition of leading civil society organization, has urged the political parties and national institutions to hold dialogue for ensuring free and fair ele
ctions in the country.
Through the dialogue, the key stakeholders must address complaints regarding level playing field for political parties and develop consensus to reduce political polarization before conducting next ele
ctions, said a news release by the Center for Peace and Development headed
by its Executive Director Mukhtar Ahmad Ali.
All the stakeholders should work for implementation of constitutional obligations and holding of timely general ele
ctions in all areas of Pakistan. Any action that undermine the constitutional order, respect of government institutions, and credibility of upcoming ele
ctions mu
st be avoided in the larger interest of democratic system and political stability, the news release added.
The CED consists of civil society organizations including Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI), Centre for Governance and Public Accountability (CGPA), Individual land (IL), Institute for Research, Advocacy and Development (IRADA), Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) and Peace and Justice Network (PJN).
The CED has emphasized that, in many ways, the current political situation is unprecedented and, therefore, it requires a grand dialogue on an urgent basis without causing any delay in the ongoing electoral process. In this regard, it would be quite appropriate for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take initiative for engaging political parties for dialogue to address complaints and grievances so that credibility of the general ele
ctions could be ensured in a befitting manner.
The CED further emphasised that dialogue must have results within days, without affecting timeline for the General Ele
ctions in February 2024. The CED also stressed the need for facilitating voters in the flood affected areas besides ensuring national identity cards for them or access to polling stations due to damaging roads and tracks. There is also need for robust security measures to protect citizens’ participation in the electoral process.
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