December 13, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 2, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: In what could be called a bizarre estimation, the Election Commission of Pakistan expects less expenditure on conducting the upcoming January 8 polls than the Election-2002, which cost the exchequer Rs1.4 billion.

“Though we have not yet finalised the total expenses, we expect that this time around it would be about Rs1 billion,” Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad told Dawn here Wednesday.

The claim is being made despite the fact that the computerized electoral list has swollen to 84 million voters than the previously prepared list of 52 million. The addition of 32 million voters to the list was made after the pre-November 3 Supreme Court on a PPP complaint ordered the Election Commission to re-conduct the entire exercise of updating electoral rolls and add the missing voters to the list.

During the October 10, 2002 general elections, 72 million voters cast their votes in 64,475 polling stations having 164,718 polling booths.

Interestingly the Rs1.4 billion expenditure on conducting the 2002 elections was 40 per cent higher than what was used in the 1997 general elections when an amount of Rs1 billion was incurred mainly due to inflation, taxes and some new requirements. Likewise, the cost of 1997 elections was 152 per cent higher than the 1993 elections.

Justifying the claim, the secretary explained that the major chunk of Rs550 million needed for preparing the computerized electoral rolls was funded by a US-based organization. Same is the case with the 430,000 transparent ballot boxes.

Meanwhile, to meet important expenses like procurement of election material, printing of ballot papers and other essentials, the commission already has a ready cash of Rs800 million, the secretary said.

Besides, the secretary said, the Ministry of Finance had already assured the commission of fulfilling all its financial requests for miscellaneous expenditures.

Usually funds allocated for the elections are required for the district returning officers (DROs) and returning officers (RO), procurement of election material, indelible ink, printing of ballot papers, printing of forms, envelopes, manuals, posters, badges, setting up of telecommunication network as well as for transportation of election material, campaigns for voters’ education, publicity and training of polling personnel.

During the last elections (2002), the Election Commission had paid an amount of Rs198 million to the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), while Rs195 million were allocated for the services rendered by the army for maintaining law and order on the polling day and for escorting transportation of ballot papers.

Regarding training of the election personnel, he said 3,000 training workshops were being conducted in the four provinces, which were to conclude by December 31.

The workshops also included orientation of DROs and ROs for smooth conduct of the election.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Qazi Farooq and the secretary will also address the participants of these orientation courses.