An impressive number of people turned out to vote in the first phase of the Local Government Election in Punjab held in 12 districts. While relatively peaceful, the elections were marked by procedural irregularities and illegalities that continue to highlight weak grip of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on the enforcement of electoral processes. One of the most pronounced irregularities on the Election Day was the barrier on FAFEN’s observation of both voting and the counting processes at the polling stations despite issuance of accreditation by the ECP.

While FAFEN’s complete report will be released by the end of December, which will detail the scale of irregularities and illegalities from the entire sample, the preliminary report is meant to highlight certain trends as documented on the Election Day, which are indicative of the quality of the electoral process. However, these are FAFEN’s preliminary findings and must not be generalized. They, at best, indicate the recurrent election irregularities that are observed in all elections, reflecting weak capacity of the ECP to enforce election laws and procedures on Election Day. The report is being released with the purpose of influencing improvements in the second and third phases of Local Government elections which are due on November 19 and December 5 respectively in the two provinces and in Islamabad Capital Territory on November 30, 2015.

To download the preliminary report, click here