Staff Correspondent:

The Election Commission has sent its opinions to the National Consensus Commission, contradicting a number of reform proposals related to the election.

“Addressing Prof Ali Riaz sir (Vice-chair of the national consensus commission), we’ve sent our opinions, expressing different views over some proposals – it may be 7-8 or 9-10,” said EC senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed while talking to reporters at his office in the capital on Monday.

Raising some different views, he said the formation of a commission for the delimitation of constituencies as recommended by the reform commission is not needed.

“We’ve said that the commission over the delimitation of constituencies is not needed,” he said.

Besides, Akhtar Ahmed said, a formula of plus or minus 10 percent voters for the delimitation of constituencies, which is also not required.

The EC argued that if the formula is followed, the number of constituencies in the urban areas will be significantly high and would be disproportionate as the influx of people towards urban areas is enormous, he said.

Talking about other different views, Akhtar Ahmed said there is a proposal that the EC should make an announcement through a public notification in favour of fairness, credibility and acceptance of a national election within 48 hours of the balloting and before the issuance of gazette notification.

About this proposal, he said the EC thinks this certification is not needed as a returning officer doesn’t announce unofficial election results, if he or she is not satisfied.

The EC secretary said they think the number of voters and people and also geographical integrity should rightly be considered here.

Akhtar Ahmed, however, said they agreed to the reform proposal to keep the national identity services under the authority of the Election Commission.

Now the EC is properly providing services to 186 firms from the NID server.