Selection of Chief Election Commissioner

One fails to understand as to why must be the CEC be proposed by one or the other political party as anyone proposing someone would certainly have an interest in him and what could that interest be except to favour his party in the elections. And how would the CEC favour them unless he does something unethical?! So, the very idea of selecting the CEC by the political parties is fraught  with and smacks of malafide.

To my mind the political parties should have nothing to do with the selection of the CEC and instead the Supreme Court should appoint him.  And one thing more, the CEC need not be a retired justice only and could be any honest, capable and proficient person with an impeccable character, highly patriotic, hard working and energetic and finally absolutely firm and fair. He can be a retired or serving bureaucrat, a defence personnel or an academician – more so because conducting elections is  more of an administrative task than sitting in judgement over the contesting candidates and political parties, for which judicial staff can always be in attendance to assist him where required.  

If we have fair and transparent elections and of course contested by the HONEST and selfless patriotic politicians only, Pakistan shall become one of the most advanced nations of the world in a very short time.

Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)