This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/10/pakistan-elections-mosquito-app-cheats
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Pakistan elections: mosquito app to bite poll cheats | Pakistan elections: mosquito app to bite poll cheats |
| (10 days later) | |
| A mobile phone app originally built to help authorities in Pakistan hunt down disease-spreading mosquitoes will be used extensively during Saturday's general election to deter cheating at the polls. | A mobile phone app originally built to help authorities in Pakistan hunt down disease-spreading mosquitoes will be used extensively during Saturday's general election to deter cheating at the polls. |
| More than 15,000 smartphone wielding election observers will be able to send instant reports and photographs of any irregularities they encounter to a hi-tech control room. | More than 15,000 smartphone wielding election observers will be able to send instant reports and photographs of any irregularities they encounter to a hi-tech control room. |
| Authorities hope the system, combined with a fully revised voter list and an unprecedented level of public scrutiny, will help ensure the election will be the cleanest ever despite the challenges in a vast country with more than 70,000 polling stations. | Authorities hope the system, combined with a fully revised voter list and an unprecedented level of public scrutiny, will help ensure the election will be the cleanest ever despite the challenges in a vast country with more than 70,000 polling stations. |
| Previous elections have been seriously marred by wholesale vote rigging which experts say will now be harder to get away with. | Previous elections have been seriously marred by wholesale vote rigging which experts say will now be harder to get away with. |
| The hi-tech solution will largely be restricted to Punjab, the country's most populous province, where more than half of the national assembly seats are up for grabs. | The hi-tech solution will largely be restricted to Punjab, the country's most populous province, where more than half of the national assembly seats are up for grabs. |
| Throughout the day election observers will be able to report problems simply by hitting an icon on the smartphone screen, including ones for the illegal display of weapons or "suspicious people". | Throughout the day election observers will be able to report problems simply by hitting an icon on the smartphone screen, including ones for the illegal display of weapons or "suspicious people". |
| Details can be attached to photographs taken on the phone's camera, which can be instantly beamed back to a control room where they flash up as red circles on maps displayed on banks of giant computer displays. | Details can be attached to photographs taken on the phone's camera, which can be instantly beamed back to a control room where they flash up as red circles on maps displayed on banks of giant computer displays. |
| A 30-strong team of election monitors will scrutinise problems occurring throughout Punjab and direct police and other authorities to the most serious problems. | A 30-strong team of election monitors will scrutinise problems occurring throughout Punjab and direct police and other authorities to the most serious problems. |
| Officials say the app, which has been running for weeks, has already helped to reduce offences in the last week of campaigning. | Officials say the app, which has been running for weeks, has already helped to reduce offences in the last week of campaigning. |
| "Complaints really tailed off towards the end of the campaign period when we would have expected them to peak," said Umar Saif, chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board. "People realised how closely this election is being monitored and that the rules are being quickly enforced." | "Complaints really tailed off towards the end of the campaign period when we would have expected them to peak," said Umar Saif, chairman of the Punjab Information Technology Board. "People realised how closely this election is being monitored and that the rules are being quickly enforced." |
| During polling on Saturday, the main concerns will be ensuring ballot boxes arrive at polling stations, that the election begins on time at 8am and there are no attempts to force voting to be suspended. | During polling on Saturday, the main concerns will be ensuring ballot boxes arrive at polling stations, that the election begins on time at 8am and there are no attempts to force voting to be suspended. |
| More than 15,000 Punjab government servants are armed with the app and members of the public have been encouraged to install it on their phones. | More than 15,000 Punjab government servants are armed with the app and members of the public have been encouraged to install it on their phones. |
| The system was originally developed by the Punjab government to hunt down mosquito larvae that carry the potentially deadly dengue virus, which badly hit Lahore two years ago. | The system was originally developed by the Punjab government to hunt down mosquito larvae that carry the potentially deadly dengue virus, which badly hit Lahore two years ago. |
| Saturday is set to be the most scrutinised election in Pakistan's history, with journalists and 43,000 volunteers from the Free and Fair Election Network all keeping a close eye on events. | Saturday is set to be the most scrutinised election in Pakistan's history, with journalists and 43,000 volunteers from the Free and Fair Election Network all keeping a close eye on events. |
| Foreign election experts say that while some polling stations in remote areas may be affected by serious fraud, it would be impossible for anyone to try to affect the overall result, as Pakistan's army has been accused of doing in the past. | Foreign election experts say that while some polling stations in remote areas may be affected by serious fraud, it would be impossible for anyone to try to affect the overall result, as Pakistan's army has been accused of doing in the past. |
| Security remains a major challenge. The Pakistani Taliban, which opposes the democratic system, has vowed to launch countrywide suicide bomb attacks. | Security remains a major challenge. The Pakistani Taliban, which opposes the democratic system, has vowed to launch countrywide suicide bomb attacks. |
| In Punjab alone some 4,700 polling stations have been declared sensitive and will receive additional security. | In Punjab alone some 4,700 polling stations have been declared sensitive and will receive additional security. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. | Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. Enter your email address to subscribe. |
| Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |