ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza on Friday assured that next general election would be a historical one in terms of transparency, integrity and credibility.
While addressing the closing ceremony of the fourth batch of “Electoral Management Course” in Islamabad, the CEC said that the upcoming general elections would be more challenging than previous one as it would require indomitable integrity and credibility.
“The mission of free, fair and impartial elections could only be translated into reality if we embrace all these principles with determined zeal.”
The CEC said that Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) electoral activities now would be strictly according to the principles laid down in the law and its policies in line with the ECP’s pledge of gender parity.
“We are striving to prepare for a more transparent and credible election that is acceptable to nation,” he said, and urged ECP’s officers “Your performance on election day will make us proud and also make us proud of you.”
Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza said that today’s challenges demand much more from us than a decade back and such enriching initiatives are the only way of meeting these challenges.
The CEC expressed the hope that this training would help further improving knowledge and supplementing professional expertise. He added the skills acquired during the training would also need personal commitment and passion to be implemented.
The Chief Election Commissioner said that the focus of the Electoral Management Course in this batch has been shifted to Regional Election Commissioners (REC) and Directors with the view that they having a supervisory role in their respective jurisdiction, need to be equipped with latest techniques and knowledge on election management.
Justice Raza said that the training has been enriched with the inclusion of three ‘bridge modules on delimitation of constituencies, legal framework and gender and elections’, to suit the ever more diverse needs of the ECP officers in the face of changing political dynamics.
The CEC hoped that with the participation in this workshop and having lot of knowledge on these subjects, delimitation will now be error free and at par with international standard.
The CEC advised the RECs and directors not only supervise but also provide guidance to their junior officers whenever needed. He thanked the training wing for successful arranging the event
Later, the CEC awarded certificates among participants of the training workshop.
Source: APP/DND
