PPP Leader Benazir Bhutto writes to Pakistan’s Chief Election Commissioner

Says polling agents must be allowed to sign empty boxes

Islamabad October 7, 2002: The Pakistan Peoples Party is gravely concerned over the reports it has received from own sources that yet another dimension has been added to the polls rigging plan under General Pervez Musharraf to rob the democratic forces of electoral victory.

The new rigging plan has been outlined by former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the PPP Mohtamra Benazir Bhutto in a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner. The letter was sent to the CEC today and its copies endorsed to European Union Observers, Commonwealth Observers, the NDI Observers and the IRI Observers teams all based in Islamabad

The former Prime Minister said that according to the reports received by the PPP the rigging plan is as under.

“a. The polling stations will now be under the control of Army Officers with Magisterial Powers which will make the civilian administration ineffective due to this super control under their guns.

“b. Two to three extra ballot boxes will be sent to selected polling stations. Some of these boxes will be stuffed with pre-stamped ballots.

“c The polling officer will show/demonstrate the empty ballot box to the polling agents there and after that he will seal it. The box will be sealed and signed by the polling officer in the presence of all the polling agents giving an impression of being fair on the face of it.

“d. During the processes of voting the ballot box will be replaced with the pre-stuffed ballot boxes with same seal and signatures in favor of the candidate which the regime wants to win.

“e. This method will be used in selected stations”.

In order to prevent the above method to rig polls, the CEC must allow the polling agents to counter sign the empty box when it is shown to them and sealed, the former Prime Minister said in her letter to Chief Election Commissioner. – Press Release