Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ISLAMABAD3247
2007-07-27 02:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:
SUPREME COURT TELLS ELECTION COMMISSION TO BEEF UP VOTER
how-toVZCZCXRO3749 PP RUEHLH RUEHPW DE RUEHIL #3247 2080241 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 270241Z JUL 07 FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0700 INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 7363 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1433 RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 6831 RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RHWSMRC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 2719 RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 2973 RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 1390
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 003247
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PK
SUBJECT: SUPREME COURT TELLS ELECTION COMMISSION TO BEEF UP VOTER
ROLLS
REF: Islamabad 2944
UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 003247
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PK
SUBJECT: SUPREME COURT TELLS ELECTION COMMISSION TO BEEF UP VOTER
ROLLS
REF: Islamabad 2944
1. (U) On July 26, a full Supreme Court bench -- including recently
restored Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry -- directed the Election
Commission of Pakistan to develop by August 10 a plan to increase
the number of names on the draft voter rolls.
2. (U) The Supreme Court's direction was in response to a petition
submitted by the Pakistan People's Party complaining that the draft
voter's list did not represent a sufficient number of eligible
voters. (Note: The 2007 voter list contains approximately 52 million
names, whereas there are an estimated 82 million people who are
eligible to vote. End Note.)
3. (SBU) The Court focused its attention on the problems created by
requiring voters to possess computerized national identity cards to
register. Chief Justice Chaudhry said that such a requirement was
in apparent contravention of the constitution and that other forms
of identification should be acceptable for registration. (Note: The
Election Commission accepts both old and new computerized identity
cards for registration purposes; however, they still require that
voters present new cards on election day, which could disenfranchise
a significant number of voters. End Note.)
4. (SBU) It should be relatively easy for the Election Commission to
change their requirement for what forms of identification are
acceptable on election day. We believe that the most efficient and
credible way of adding a significant number of names to the voters'
list is to merge the 2007 draft voter list with the National
Database Registration Authority's (NADRA) database of Computerized
National Identity Card holders, a process that could add up to 22
million names to the voters' list (reftel). The Election Commission
is still investigating the technical feasibility of the idea
(originally proposed by IFES),but the Supreme Court order provides
the legal cover necessary to make such a merger. We will be
watching closely over the next two weeks to see how the Commission
responds to the Supreme Court order.
PATTERSON
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PK
SUBJECT: SUPREME COURT TELLS ELECTION COMMISSION TO BEEF UP VOTER
ROLLS
REF: Islamabad 2944
1. (U) On July 26, a full Supreme Court bench -- including recently
restored Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry -- directed the Election
Commission of Pakistan to develop by August 10 a plan to increase
the number of names on the draft voter rolls.
2. (U) The Supreme Court's direction was in response to a petition
submitted by the Pakistan People's Party complaining that the draft
voter's list did not represent a sufficient number of eligible
voters. (Note: The 2007 voter list contains approximately 52 million
names, whereas there are an estimated 82 million people who are
eligible to vote. End Note.)
3. (SBU) The Court focused its attention on the problems created by
requiring voters to possess computerized national identity cards to
register. Chief Justice Chaudhry said that such a requirement was
in apparent contravention of the constitution and that other forms
of identification should be acceptable for registration. (Note: The
Election Commission accepts both old and new computerized identity
cards for registration purposes; however, they still require that
voters present new cards on election day, which could disenfranchise
a significant number of voters. End Note.)
4. (SBU) It should be relatively easy for the Election Commission to
change their requirement for what forms of identification are
acceptable on election day. We believe that the most efficient and
credible way of adding a significant number of names to the voters'
list is to merge the 2007 draft voter list with the National
Database Registration Authority's (NADRA) database of Computerized
National Identity Card holders, a process that could add up to 22
million names to the voters' list (reftel). The Election Commission
is still investigating the technical feasibility of the idea
(originally proposed by IFES),but the Supreme Court order provides
the legal cover necessary to make such a merger. We will be
watching closely over the next two weeks to see how the Commission
responds to the Supreme Court order.
PATTERSON