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Free Elections
� Free elections� are being held in the country on Jan 8, 2008. The elections are posed to be �free� in the
sense the government will not spend a penny on exercise. United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) is funding the whole event. The elections are free in the sense UNDP is paying remuneration to the polling
staff according to rates fixed for the purpose in
1976. The polling staffs are being paid the same remuneration as the rates were fixed in 1976.
Currently UNDP is holding training workshops for presiding officers who are paid Rs 250/- for daylong
exercise and journey. It is believed that 5-10 days
journey in mountains areas in the Chilly cold January season will entitle the presiding officers for a lump
sum remuneration of Rs 600/- whereas for polling staff it will be one third of this amount. Boarding,
lodging, food, meals, heating arrangement, and out of pocket expenses will be born by the polling staff. The
Government is true when it pays �The elections will be free�.
According to rough estimates the training workshop costs Rs 1500/- to each individual in the mountainous
areas and Rs 1000/- in the plains. The polling day journey will cost Rs 3000 in the mountainous areas and
Rs 2000/- in the plains. The number of days involved will be 7 days in mountainous areas of Chitral, Dir,
Kohistan etc and 2 days in plain districts. We are
supporting free elections but the cost of � Free� should not be born by the polling staff only.
Bashir Hussain Azad
Chitral.
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