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| Pakistan's ruling party 'systematically undermined' before election – EU team | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The EU’s election monitoring team in Pakistan has piled further pressure on the country’s disputed general election by saying that “systematic efforts to undermine the ruling party” ahead of the vote meant that the playing field was not level. | |
| Michael Gahler, the chief of the European Union election observer mission, told a press conference in Islamabad that his 120-strong team observed no rigging on election day itself. | |
| But in surprisingly harsh comments that will be seized upon by the defeated Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), he added that the election environment was “not as good” as in 2013. This contradicted a media report shared by the victorious Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on its official Facebook page which said that the respected EU mission had found this year’s vote to be cleaner than the last one. | |
| Gahler said that counting in polling stations was “sometimes problematic” but “from what we observed” in 582 of the 85,000 polling stations the military “were not interfering” with the vote. He advised the six major parties that alleged ballot-fixing to take their complaints up through the legal channels. | |
| However, in serious criticisms that will cast a shadow over the formation of the new PTI government, led by former international cricketer Imran Khan, Gahler said that pressure on the media, as well as “far stronger” efforts than usual to encourage switching parties, and “judicial conduct” including “cases of corruption, contempt of court and terrorism”, all helped to tilt the election against the PML-N. | |
| He said the overall legitimacy of the election was for the Pakistani people to decide. | |
| PML-N, the defeated incumbent party, has long complained that its chances in the vote were badly hurt long before polling got underway. More than 30 of its candidates left the party during the campaign and many privately alleged that they were pressured by Pakistan’s ISI spy agency. | |
| PTI enjoyed success across the country, official election results showed on Friday. With 11 seats left to count, more than a day after the result was due, the PTI had won 114 seats in the national assembly, PML-N had taken 63, and the Pakistan Peoples Party 43. | |
| Khan will still need to form a coalition to become prime minister, which requires at least 137 seats, but a single party winning contests across the country – in the north, south and Punjab – is rare in Pakistani politics. | Khan will still need to form a coalition to become prime minister, which requires at least 137 seats, but a single party winning contests across the country – in the north, south and Punjab – is rare in Pakistani politics. |
| The ease with which the PTI can implement its policy agenda also received a significant boost from its strong performance in state-level elections. | The ease with which the PTI can implement its policy agenda also received a significant boost from its strong performance in state-level elections. |
| As well as forming the federal government, the PTI’s capture of 118 seats in the provincial assembly of Punjab, the largest and wealthiest province, means it has a good chance of evicting the PML-N from the state government there, a stronghold that its leadership, even as they contemplated defeat, had been desperate to protect. | As well as forming the federal government, the PTI’s capture of 118 seats in the provincial assembly of Punjab, the largest and wealthiest province, means it has a good chance of evicting the PML-N from the state government there, a stronghold that its leadership, even as they contemplated defeat, had been desperate to protect. |
| The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said turnout had dropped to 52%, a fall of two points on 2013, as had been expected following a low-energy campaign beset by allegations the military was seeking to hobble the PML-N. | The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said turnout had dropped to 52%, a fall of two points on 2013, as had been expected following a low-energy campaign beset by allegations the military was seeking to hobble the PML-N. |
| In a televised victory speech on Thursday, Khan struck a unifiying tone, pledging to lift up the poor and allow the rigging claims to be investigated. | In a televised victory speech on Thursday, Khan struck a unifiying tone, pledging to lift up the poor and allow the rigging claims to be investigated. |
| The PML-N founder, Nawaz Sharif, told family from the prison cell where he is serving a 10-year sentence for corruption that he considered the result “stolen”. | The PML-N founder, Nawaz Sharif, told family from the prison cell where he is serving a 10-year sentence for corruption that he considered the result “stolen”. |
| Also known as the Justice party, it is led by the former cricketer Imran Khan, and has had some success at provincial level but has never been able to convert it into national power. Khan has been accused both of lacking a coherent political philosophy and of sympathising with extremists. He has described the Taliban’s fight in Afghanistan as a holy war, and accused “liberals” who support Nato’s war on the group of being “thirsty for blood”. | Also known as the Justice party, it is led by the former cricketer Imran Khan, and has had some success at provincial level but has never been able to convert it into national power. Khan has been accused both of lacking a coherent political philosophy and of sympathising with extremists. He has described the Taliban’s fight in Afghanistan as a holy war, and accused “liberals” who support Nato’s war on the group of being “thirsty for blood”. |
| Hopes to win control of parliament again, even though its leader, Nawaz Sharif, is in prison for corruption. Tried and sentenced in absentia, he returned to the country this month to serve his sentence, hoping to revitalise the campaign before the election. | Hopes to win control of parliament again, even though its leader, Nawaz Sharif, is in prison for corruption. Tried and sentenced in absentia, he returned to the country this month to serve his sentence, hoping to revitalise the campaign before the election. |
| Now led by Sharif’s brother Shahbaz, the party is focusing on its economic success and promises of energy and infrastructure investment from China. However, efforts to increase tax revenues have faltered. | Now led by Sharif’s brother Shahbaz, the party is focusing on its economic success and promises of energy and infrastructure investment from China. However, efforts to increase tax revenues have faltered. |
| Led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The party lost ground after Benazir was killed in 2007 but the family name still carries considerable weight. The third-generation leader appears to be playing a long game, rebuilding support in its heartland with an eye on future elections. If it does well in this vote, the PPP could potentially serve as a junior partner in a coalition. | Led by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the assassinated former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. The party lost ground after Benazir was killed in 2007 but the family name still carries considerable weight. The third-generation leader appears to be playing a long game, rebuilding support in its heartland with an eye on future elections. If it does well in this vote, the PPP could potentially serve as a junior partner in a coalition. |
| GenAsif Ghafoor, the army’s spokesperson, drew criticism after tweeting “You honour who You will and You humble who You will”, a verse from the Qur’an that was taken in some quarters as confirmation of the military’s support for Khan. | GenAsif Ghafoor, the army’s spokesperson, drew criticism after tweeting “You honour who You will and You humble who You will”, a verse from the Qur’an that was taken in some quarters as confirmation of the military’s support for Khan. |
| The trickle of official results threw up surprises. Top PML-N leaders performed worse than expected. The former prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who took up the role after the ousting of Sharif, lost both the constituencies he was contesting. | The trickle of official results threw up surprises. Top PML-N leaders performed worse than expected. The former prime minister, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who took up the role after the ousting of Sharif, lost both the constituencies he was contesting. |
| The former finance minister Miftah Ismail posted on Twitter that he was “looking for work” after his own defeat. Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz’s brother and the new leader of the party, scraped into parliament after losing three of the four seats he contested. | The former finance minister Miftah Ismail posted on Twitter that he was “looking for work” after his own defeat. Shahbaz Sharif, Nawaz’s brother and the new leader of the party, scraped into parliament after losing three of the four seats he contested. |
| Although Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a new far-right Islamist party dedicated to killing blasphemers, failed to win any national seats, its strong second-place in many contests raised fears that it will influence the future of Pakistani politics. | Although Tehreek-e-Labbaik, a new far-right Islamist party dedicated to killing blasphemers, failed to win any national seats, its strong second-place in many contests raised fears that it will influence the future of Pakistani politics. |
| The party claimed a startling 10% of the vote in the 110-million strong province of Punjab, cutting into the PML-N vote bank, and won two seats in the Sindh provincial government. | The party claimed a startling 10% of the vote in the 110-million strong province of Punjab, cutting into the PML-N vote bank, and won two seats in the Sindh provincial government. |
| Analyst Umair Javed told the Guardian that the scale of Khan’s win across the country made the PTI a rare “truly national party”. It won a two-thirds majority in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the first since 1951, while at the other end of Pakistan, in the southern business capital of Karachi, the party vastly outperformed expectations to claim half the seats. | Analyst Umair Javed told the Guardian that the scale of Khan’s win across the country made the PTI a rare “truly national party”. It won a two-thirds majority in the northern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the first since 1951, while at the other end of Pakistan, in the southern business capital of Karachi, the party vastly outperformed expectations to claim half the seats. |
| That might reflect a shift away from ethnicity-based politics in both regions, said Javed. | That might reflect a shift away from ethnicity-based politics in both regions, said Javed. |
| A former PML-N cabinet minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, petitioned for a recount of his defeat to Imran Khan in the capital of Punjab, Lahore. He said the presiding officer at the polling station “rejected” many votes. | A former PML-N cabinet minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, petitioned for a recount of his defeat to Imran Khan in the capital of Punjab, Lahore. He said the presiding officer at the polling station “rejected” many votes. |
| The PML-N will host a conference of opposition leaders in Islamabad on Friday to discuss their response after all said that the vote was rigged, with their polling agents – workers who keep an eye on the count – evicted from ballot booths by security officials. At a party meeting on Thursday, the PML-N decided against boycotting parliament. | The PML-N will host a conference of opposition leaders in Islamabad on Friday to discuss their response after all said that the vote was rigged, with their polling agents – workers who keep an eye on the count – evicted from ballot booths by security officials. At a party meeting on Thursday, the PML-N decided against boycotting parliament. |
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