Number of MPs to be elected may increase: Elections Commission

Elections Commission has said that the number of MPs to be elected for People’s Majlis 2014 may be higher than the current number of MPs in the parliament.

Secretary General of Elections Commission Asim Abdul Sattar said this at a meeting held at Nasandura Palace Hotel last night, organised by Broadcasting Commission to provide information on how to cover the elections.

He said that based on the unofficial statistics held by the commission, the number of MPs to be elected to the parliament for 2014 will exceed 77. He said that efforts are under way to determine and inform the parliament the number of MPs required for 2014, 10 or 12 months before the end of the current parliament session.

He said that work is also ongoing to introduce new methods of announcing the results of upcoming elections, including the announcement of results online. He said that the system will constantly update the number of people who vote based on gender.

Referring to the budget allocated to the commission, Asim said that it had not received enough funds to fulfil its legal responsibilities. He said that discussions are ongoing with the government on finding a solution to the budget problems, and expressed hope that the matter will be resolved.