The European Union Election Observation Mission (EU EOM), which had appointed observers for the July 25 elections, said on Friday that although “there were several legal provisions aimed at ensuring a level playing field, there was a lack of equality of opportunity” provided to the contesting parties.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, EU Chief Observer Michael Gahler, while releasing the EU EOM’s preliminary statement on the election, said, “Despite positive changes to the legal framework with the new Elections Act, and a stronger and more transparent Election Commission, we consider that the electoral process of 2018 was negatively affected by the political environment.”
“Candidates with large political appeal and financial means, the so-called “electables” were reported to often dominate the campaign. Uneven rules on campaign spending further undermined candidates’ equal opportunity,” the EU EOM observed.
However, the Mission generally praised the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) role in the conduct of the elections.
According to the statement, over 120 EU observers oversaw “the opening, voting, counting and tabulation processes at 582 polling stations and tabulation centres in 113 constituencies of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakthunkhwa and Islamabad.”
The Mission also noted in its preliminary statement that the election day was orderly, “with a preliminary turnout of 52 per cent” despite “two deadly attacks on polling stations in Balochistan, and regional clashes between party supporters”.
