Election result represent ‘will of the People’: EUEOM
By Raza Mumtaz 'Pakistan Times' Executive Editor/UK Bureau Chief

LONDON (UK): A parliamentary member of European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM), has termed the February 18 national elections result in Pakistan as ‘the will of the people’ but as the same time called on the incoming Government to address the imperatives of the ‘profound democratic deficits with rigour and determination so that Pakistan’s democracy can finally come of age’.

Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne in a statement on her return from Pakistan after monitoring the elections , paid tributes to the polling stations officials for their dedicated and serious work together with local police and the army to ensure that this highly significant and important day proceeded calmly throughout the day.

The Baroness is a member of both the Foreign Affairs Committee and of the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament and as well as the European Parliament’s Rapporteur on the State Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking on her return from Lahore, she stated: “I welcomed the opportunity to be part of the election as a member of the EU Election Observation Mission to Pakistan. I spent this historic electionday in Lahore where I observed, along with my two MEP colleagues, the voting process in action by spending time in well over 20 polling booths, from 7:30 a.m up to the results consolidation at city hall at 10:30 p.m.”

“I pay warm tribute to and gained respect for the dedicated and serious work put in by many hundreds of polling station officials, together with the local police and army who ensured that this highly significant and important day proceeded calmly throughout the city.”

“I saw at first hand the absolute commitment of the citizens of Pakistan and the democratic process to cast their votes in a proper way, thus making their will known. The system has many flaws but nonetheless the will of the people came through.

During her five day EUEOM visit to Pakistan, Baroness Nicholson was part of the delegation that met President Pervez Musharraf and leaders of the main political parties.

At these meeting she consistently raised the question of the disenfranchisement of many women, particularly those from the northwest frontier provinces, where tribal rulings had effectively barred their participation in the election.

She also opposed the condition of having a university degree for the potential parliamentary candidates.

The European Union Election Observation Mission (EUEOM) to Pakistan was led by MEP Michael Gahler, the political component was led by Robert Evans and was composed of seven MEPs, who observed the polls throughout the election day.●