National Assembly: Legislators’ Attendance Trend Declines in Five Years

National Assembly: Legislators’ Attendance Trend Declines in Five Years

ISLAMABAD, April 8, 2018: The average attendance per sitting of National Assembly (NA) legislators declined by 13% over the last five years. Analysis of attendance patterns suggests a link of the falling attendance rate with weak enforcement of parliamentary rules of procedure and general disinterest among political leaders to participate in parliamentary business. The annual average attendance per sitting declined from 222 (65%) legislators during the first year to 193 (56%) legislators during the fifth year. Similarly, session-wise attendance average fell from 311 (91%) per sitting during the first session in June 2013 to 192 (56%) in the last NA session that was prorogued sine die in March 2018.

According to the official records, each NA sitting was attended by an average of 60% legislators. Only five sittings were attended by 301 or more legislators, while 42 sittings were attended by 251 to 300 legislators. A total of 212 sittings had an attendance between 201 and 250 legislators, 174 had an attendance between 151 to 200 legislators, 33 had an attendance between 101 and 150 legislators while two sittings were attended by less than 100 legislators. The attendance also fluctuated on various weekdays. The average attendance on midweek days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) is higher than the first and last working days of the week (Monday and Friday). Read More >>

 
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Balochistan Assembly Adopts Three Resolutions

ISLAMABAD, April 02, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly was prorogued on Monday after transacting its scheduled business including three private members’ resolutions and two government bills, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet. Following are key observations of the proceedings during the eighth (last) sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:  Members’ Participation  The Balochistan Assembly met for an hour and 50 minutes.…

 
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Balochistan Assembly Demands PSDP Allocation for Water Reservoirs

ISLAMABAD, March 30, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly adopted a resolution on Friday demanding the allocation of 500 billion rupees for construction of water reservoirs in the province, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet. Following are key observations of the proceedings during the seventh sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:  Members’ Participation  The Balochistan Assembly met for an hour and 44…

 
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Two Bills Introduced in Balochistan Assembly

ISLAMABAD, March 27, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly on Tuesday witnessed introduction of two bills to curb smoking practices among adolescents and at cinema houses, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet. Following are key observations of the proceedings during the sixth sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:  Members’ Participation  The Balochistan Assembly met for an hour and 34 minutes. The sitting…

 
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Balochistan Assembly Demands Additional 29 NA and 26 PA seats

ISLAMABAD, March 24, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly adopted four resolutions on Saturday including a resolution recommending the federal parliament to increase the National Assembly (NA) and Provincial Assembly (PA) seats for the province, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet. Following are key observations of the proceedings during the fifth sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:  Members’ Participation …

 
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Balochistan Assembly Lacks Quorum to Take up Agenda

ISLAMABAD, March 22, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly did not take up any agenda item on Thursday due to lack of quorum, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in Daily Factsheet. Following are key observations of the proceedings during the fourth sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:  Members’ Participation  The Balochistan Assembly met for 29 minutes. The sitting started at 1633 hours against the…

 
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Balochistan Assembly Adjourned due to Lack of Quorum

ISLAMABAD, March 20, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly was adjourned on Tuesday without transacting its scheduled business due to lack of quorum, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet. Following are key observations of the proceedings during the third sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:  Members’ Participation  The Balochistan Assembly met for 13 minutes. The sitting started at 1529 hours against…

 
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Balochistan Assembly Demands 20 Additional Seats

ISLAMABAD, March 17, 2018: The Balochistan Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution on Saturday demanding an addition of 20 seats in the provincial assembly, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) in its Daily Factsheet. Following are key observations of the proceedings during the second sitting of the Assembly’s 50th session:  Members’ Participation  The Balochistan Assembly met for three hours. The sitting started at 1627…

 
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Delimitation Proposals: FAFEN Identifies Discrepancies in Size of Electoral Constituencies

ISLAMABAD, March 16, 2018: Free and Fair Election Network (ECP) has identified varying degree of discrepancies in the population size of electoral constituencies in fresh delimitation proposals laid out by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). While ECP has upheld the legal delimitation principles of geographical compactness and respect for the existing boundaries of administrative units, the principle of equality of vote is compromised in as many as 81 National Assembly constituencies where the variation in population size exceeds the ordinarily permissible legal limit of 10%.

Election Rules, 2017 drafted and approved by ECP appeared to have been strictly adhered to but in that process legal principle of equality of vote is compromised. Rules pertaining to delimitation could not sufficiently operationalize the legal principle of equality of vote among constituencies. Law provides for equality among constituencies but Rules have attempted to follow this principle among provinces and districts. In a detailed analysis of the Preliminary Report and List of Constituencies released by ECP, FAFEN examined the variations found in the population and voter size of the National Assembly (NA) constituencies with regards to the national, provincial and district averages of population and voters per constituency.

 
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National Assembly Prorogued After Completing Business

ISLAMABAD, March 16, 2018:  The National Assembly’s 54th session was prorogued on Friday after addressing its entire agenda for the day, observes Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN). Following are key observations of the proceedings during sixth (last) sitting of the 54th Session:  Members’ Participation The National Assembly met for two hours and four minutes. The sitting started at 1045 hours against…

 
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