1. Hold timely, free, fair and transparent
national and provincial assembly elections this year, before presidential
polls, so that assemblies with a new popular mandate can serve as the
presidential Electoral College.
2. Appoint a neutral, caretaker government
formed in consultation with the main opposition parties in parliament, once
the election schedule is announced, to supervise the general elections.
3. Ensure the independence and autonomy of the
Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by:
(a) appointing a new Chief Election
Commissioner in consultation with the parliamentary opposition parties;
and
(b) empowering the ECP to enforce its Code of
Conduct, especially provisions relating to the use of government resources
for election campaigning, including the announcement and/or inauguration
of public sector development schemes that might influence votes.
4. Suspend the current local governments once
the election schedule is announced and appoint administrators to serve until
the elections are held and results announced.
5. Forbid involvement of intelligence agencies
at any stage of the electoral process and refrain from using the civil
administration to influence the outcome.
6. Provide a level playing field by:
(a) releasing political prisoners;
(b) allowing the unconditional return from
abroad of political leaders and repealing the bar on a prime minister
serving more than two terms; and
(c) affording all political parties freedom
to organise public rallies and mobilise voters and giving them equal
access to state media.
7. Share preliminary electoral rolls with all
political parties and ensure that potential voters are given ample
opportunity to exercise their right of franchise.
8. Ensure the security of domestic and
international election observers and provide them unfettered access to the
electoral process.
9. Pool resources to expose electoral
malpractice and fraud.
10. Do not accept military support during the
election process or in the process of government formation.
11. Agree on and adhere to a common code of
conduct for the elections.
12. Strongly and publicly warn against
imposition of emergency rule or any other measure to stifle
constitutionally-guaranteed freedoms of speech, association, assembly and
movement.
13. Urge the military high command to accept a
return to democracy, including by concurring in the following steps:
(a) return of exiled party leaders;
(b) free and fair general parliamentary
elections before a new president is selected;
(c) the new assemblies acting as the
presidential Electoral College; and
(d) separation of the posts of president and
army chief.
14. Assist the democratic transition by:
(a) sending adequately resourced and staffed
election observation missions at least three months in advance of the
elections to assess whether the polls are held in an impartial way and
meet international standards;
(b) conditioning military assistance to the
government on meeting international standards for free, fair and
democratic elections and making such assistance after the elections
conditional on the military accepting the supremacy of civilian
government; and
(c) providing strong political and financial
support to an elected civilian government.
Islamabad/Brussels, 31 July 2007
