LAHORE - The pre-poll electoral process, spanning over a period of a year starting from April 2017 upto March 2018, has been termed unfair and unsatisfactory by Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT).

Pildat carried out a “systematic and continuous” review of the pre-poll electoral process.

The PILDAT Pre-Election Assessment Report with a Score Card on Pre-Poll Fairness Perception is based on an 11-point Pre-poll Fairness Framework and has received an overall score of 51.5 per cent on a scale of 100.

Scores on each of the 11 parameters are as follows: The 2 parameters that have fallen in the Highly Unfairscale based on the scores received are Perception of Neutrality of Military towards competing political parties and candidates receiving the lowest score of 33.4 per cent, followed by the parameter of Perception of Freedom of Private Media from the influence of State institutions and vested interests receiving a score of 37.8 per cent.

The Unfair scale includes Perception of Neutrality of the State-owned Media, which has received the score of 41.5 per cent, followed by Perception of Neutrality of the Accountability Process led by NAB which has received the score of 43.1 per cen.

Perception of Independence and Neutrality of Judiciary also falls in the scale of unfair with score of 45.8 per cent.

The parameters that have received the highest scores in terms of providing the required level playing field to all for a free and fair election relate to the election management body–the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) - charged with the Constitutional responsibility of holding elections.

Perception of Credibility of Electoral Rolls, has received the highest score of 67.3 per cent Perception of Independence, Neutrality and Effectiveness of the Election Commission of Pakistan has received a score of 65.3 per cent, the 2nd highest ranking parameter.

Another related indicator in the parameter of Perception of Fairness and adherence to the laws and rules relating to the electoral constituencies delimitation process has also received a high score of 64.0 per cent with the overall highest 3rd ranking score amongst 11 parameters. It must be noted these are the only 3 parameters out of 11 whose scores fall in the fair scale.

Parameter of Perception of lack of ability of the President and Governors to influence elections has received the next highest score of 61.8 per cent while Perception of lack of ability of Local Governments to influence elections has received a score of 57.8 per cent.

The parameter of the Perception of Maintenance of Law and Order to allow political activities on a level playing field has also received a score of 57.8 per cent that indicates that compared to the pre-electoral environment leading to 2013 general election where parties were unable to hold public rallies, the scenario has been relatively stable leading up to general election 2018.  No parameter has received score on the Good (81-100) scale.

Based on the assessment of perception of fairness of the pre-electoral process, PILDAT believes that if the current trend of the perception of unfairness continues, the prospects for the fairness of remaining phases of the electoral process will also be jeopardized in context of polls.