ECP seeks powers to regulate political parties’ internal affairs

News Desk 

Islambabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has sought enhanced powers to oversee and regulate the internal functioning of political parties, proposing a series of amendments to the Election Act, 2017.

According to details, the electoral watchdog has submitted its recommendations to the federal government and parliament, seeking authority to monitor intra-party elections and enforce compliance with legal provisions.

Under the proposed amendments, the ECP would appoint a monitoring team for each political party’s intra-party elections, with the recognition of these elections contingent upon the team’s report.

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The commission has also recommended stricter implementation of Section 206 of the Election Act, suggesting fines of up to Rs10 million for parties that fail to allocate five per cent of general seats to women—a lapse that, according to the ECP, diminishes women’s representation in the political process.

Additionally, the ECP has proposed amendments to Sections 215 and 216 of the Act, which deal with the allotment of election symbols. It advised that applications for election symbols submitted after the deadline should be rejected outright.

The commission further recommended that no political party should be registered after the announcement of an election schedule, aiming to ensure transparency and order in the electoral process.