Pakistan prepares for elections

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-18-2008 08:30

With campaigning officially over, Pakistani officials across the country have been preparing for Monday's parliamentary elections.

Police and soldiers have stepped up security hoping to prevent more violence.(CCTV.com)

Police and soldiers have stepped up security hoping to prevent more violence.

In Islamabad, polling booth staff gathered at a school to collect the transparent containers to take them to polling stations in the capital.

Election officials explain the process and demonstrate how to seal the boxes once the polls end.

The voting was postponed from January after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Although some analysts say the result of the vote could spell trouble for President Pervez Musharraf, his supporters are optimistic.

Zeeshan, Supporter of Pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q, said, "Our preparations are complete. Victory will be ours, because we have a lot of support among the people here."

Opposition parties are also confident that they will do well.

Ali Asghar Butt, President of Youth Wing of Bhutto's PPP, said, "The response to the Pakistan People's Party is very good, especially after the assassination of Bhutto. This seat is 100 percent ours."

The Election Commission of Pakistan says all the arrangements have been made to ensure a peaceful and transparent election in the country.

Meanwhile, the government has deployed more than 80-thousand troops for the vote.

It has declared 30 percent of the more than 64-thousand polling stations "sensitive" and 14 percent "most sensitive", especially those in the tribal belt along the border with Afghanistan.

Police say they have foiled a plot for an attack on polling day.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei