CaFFE Urges Political Parties to Push for Long-Overdue Provincial Council Elections

The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has called on all political parties to take responsibility in compelling the government to hold the long-overdue Provincial Council elections, emphasizing that timely elections are a constitutional requirement and a cornerstone of democracy.

CaFFE Executive Director Manas Makeen said that in recent years, elections have been postponed or conducted at the discretion of the ruling party, undermining democratic processes. He noted that all nine Provincial Councils have now completed their terms, yet successive governments have failed to take action to hold elections.

While acknowledging legal barriers to conducting the polls, including the need to amend the Election Act, CaFFE stressed that it has twice submitted written recommendations to the President and other relevant stakeholders on overcoming these obstacles.

The organization further asserted that the government has “no ethical right” to continue delaying the elections and should either expedite the delimitation process or proceed under the proportional representation system used in the previous polls.

CaFFE reiterated its call for political parties in Parliament to safeguard democracy by initiating a comprehensive parliamentary discussion on the matter and ensure that citizens’ right to vote is upheld.