ISLAMABAD: Considered otherwise to be an expenditure-intensive exercise, the Feb 18 elections, if held strictly in line with the estimates of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), would be the least expensive ever in the country, administratively speaking. According to official estimates, it will cost the national exchequer Rs1 billion compared to 2002’s Rs1.4 billion.

Banking its hope on the assumptions that it did its home work well in advance, the ECP is expecting less expenditure for the conduct of the elections. “Though the elections are yet to take place, this time around we expect the total expenditure in conducting the entire exercise would be under one billion rupees,” said ECP Secretary Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad.

Interestingly, the expenditure of Rs1.4 billion on holding the 2002 elections was 40 per cent higher than what was used in 1997 when an amount of Rs1.05 billion was spent, mainly due to inflation, taxes, extensive increase in number of voters, polling stations, number of polling booths, cost of election material, printing charges and some new requirements.

Likewise, the 1997 elections cost was 152 per cent higher than the 1993 cost. This time for the 2008 elections, the secretary claimed, the major chunk of Rs550 million needed for the preparations of the computerized electoral rolls had already been funded by a US-based organization. The same was the case with the manufacturing of 430,000 transparent ballot boxes that were donated by China.

The ECP had a ready cash of Rs800 million to meet essential expenses like the procurement of election material, printing of ballot papers and such other things, the secretary explained.

Even the losses suffered by the Commission as a result of attacks on its offices during riots that engulfed the country in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto have not disturbed the ECP’s financial estimates. It has overcome the shock it had received in certain districts of Sindh, like Ghotki, Kamber Shahdadkot, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Naushero Feroze, Khairpur, Badin, Jamshoro, Dadu, Larkana and Thatta.

The claim of less expenditure is being made despite the fact that the computerized electoral list has swelled from 52 million voters to 84 million. The addition of 32 million voters was made after the pre-PCO Supreme Court, on a complaint of the PPP, had ordered the Election Commission to re-conduct the exercise of updating the electoral rolls.

On the issue of the deployment of additional security personnel in view of various threats and apprehensions, the secretary explained that maintaining law and order was the exclusive responsibility of the respective provincial governments and the Commission had nothing to do with it.

During the last electoral exercise, 72 million voters had cast their votes at 164,718 polling booths in 64,475 polling stations for which the government had initially allocated a paltry fund of Rs334.6 million against a demand of Rs1.5 billion. However, the requirement was met later through the release of subsequent funds.

Usually the funds allocated for the elections are required for District Returning Officers (DROs) and Returning Officers (RO), procurement of election material, indelible ink, printing of ballot papers, printing of forms, envelops, 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 2002, the 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.

The secretary also informed that some 3,000 training workshops were held last year in the four provinces to train election personnel for the conduct of 2008 elections. The workshops also included orientation of DROs and ROs for smooth conduct of the elections.