ISLAMABAD The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) Monday dispatched a draft bill to the Government for legislation seeking to make the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) mandatory for enrolment as a bona fide voter. According to the informed sources, the ECPs move has come in the light of recommendations of thirteen political parties having representation in the Parliament. The ECP has already sent a draft bill to the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for the legislation regarding the CNIC as a prerequisite for the registration as voter, he observed. Sources informed that the consultative meeting of political parties had unanimously agreed on making the CNIC compulsory for registration as voter as well as for casting of vote. The political leaders strongly recommended that a person holding an old NIC should not be allowed to cast his vote and all the old NICs should be cancelled. They had further suggested that the ECP, in collaboration with National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), should make a mechanism for the registration of voters that should become automatic with issuance of the CNIC. The ECP has proposed certain amendments in the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974 {Section 6 (2)} and the Representation of the People Act, 1976 Section 33 (1) and 33 (3) (a) in order to ensuring the accuracy of electoral rolls and fairness of the elections. Under the proposed provisions, Section 6 (2) of the Electoral Rolls Act, a person shall not be entitled to be enrolled as a voter, unless he possesses the CNIC issued to him under the NADRA Ordinance, 2000(VIII of 2000). The proposed amendments in the aforementioned sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1976, envisage that a person is bound to produce his CNIC at the time of casting his vote and in case of failure to produce his CNIC, he would serve as a restriction to casting of his vote. Sources further said that the ECP would not be in a position to enter into an effective collaboration with NADRA, until the proposed bill was passed by the Parliament. Once the law is in place, the ECP would have no legal hurdle in preparing credible Computerised Electoral Rolls (CERs) in collaboration with NADRA. Besides, this would help preparing complete, accurate and updated computerised electoral rolls for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections for all times to come.