PPP invites opposition to join electoral reforms committee

Opposition leaders heard us with goodwill and said they will respond after consultation, Sherry Rehman

Islamabad: Pakistan Peoples Party has invited opposition to join electoral reforms committee.

Talking after meeting with opposition delegation, Vice President Peoples Party Senator Sherry Rehman said that we went to meet opposition delegation today on instruction of our Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, we told opposition that all parties should ensure their participation in electoral reforms committees being formed of both houses.

Sherry Rehman said that opposition should necessarily play its active role in this committee and openly express its reservations, committees are heart of parliamentary affairs, if they are absent in it, how will their reservations be removed.

She said that every era has its own challenges, we say that they should also come to every standing committee which they have boycotted, we have been doing charter of electoral reforms in every era, opposition leaders heard our talk with spirit of goodwill and said that we will consult and give you answer, we hope they will give positive response to our proposals.

On other hand, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry while talking to media said that formation of Election Reforms Committee (electoral reforms committee) has been approved from National Assembly, Speaker National Assembly will soon issue formal notification of establishment of committee.

He said that process of finalizing names of committee members is still remaining, when motion was presented in National Assembly, Tehreek-e-Insaf did not oppose it, proposed committee will consist of 30 members in which 20 members from National Assembly while 10 members from Senate will be included.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said that distribution of seats in committee will be under numerical proportion of parties in house, purpose of formation of committee is to promote consultation and consensus at parliamentary level for improvement, transparency and reforms in electoral system.

Minister Parliamentary Affairs said that our effort will be that positive, constructive and workable proposals of all parliamentary parties including opposition in process of electoral reforms should be given due importance so that objective is to form such electoral system which further strengthens transparency, trust and democratic values.

He said that electoral reforms is not matter of one party but a common national matter to strengthen democratic system, to achieve this objective all political parties should play their effective role while keeping mutual consultation and national interest foremost.