A guest at one of the Australia Day in Spring events enjoys a photographic exhibition showcasing AusAID's field work in Balochistan.
Photo: Mutahir Mahmood / O'Shoot Photography
Elections an important milestone
Pakistan's upcoming elections are an important milestone. On 11 May 2013 the country will go to the polls and, for the first time in its history, Pakistan will have the opportunity to transfer from one democratically elected government to another.
Australia's support for peace and stability in Pakistan–through our development assistance program, as well as military training, counter terrorism and countering transnational crime–is particularly important as Pakistan prepares to elect its next government.
At the Australia Day in Spring event in Karachi, High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mr Peter Heyward, announced additional funding of $4 million to support the Election Commission of Pakistan. This support will be delivered through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
'It gives me great pleasure to announce that Australia is making this commitment to support transparent, credible and inclusive elections in Pakistan,' Mr Heyward said.
AusAID funding will support the Election Commission of Pakistan through the upcoming elections and assist it to develop its capacity further in the post-election period.
The project has been developed by the UNDP to help the Election Commission of Pakistan deliver its five year Strategic Plan. It aims to increase the capacity of the Election Commission of Pakistan, strengthen electoral laws and procedures around elections, and improve engagement of citizens (particularly women and young people) in electoral processes.
Training of polling staff is well underway and 65,000 transparent ballot boxes are ready for use on polling day. The Election Commission of Pakistan and the UNDP have also been working closely with UN Women to launch mass media campaigns to educate and mobilise voters to cast their vote.
This support brings Australia's total contribution to the Election Commission of Pakistan since 2011–12 to $7 million. Other donors to this project include the European Union, Norway, Japan, the United States and the UNDP.
Australia's expects to provide $87.9 million in development assistance to Pakistan in 2012–13, with a focus on health, education, and agriculture and rural development.
Australia Day in Spring
Each year, the Australian High Commission in Pakistan hosts a series of events known as 'Australia Day in Spring'.
The events–held in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad–celebrate and build on the long-standing friendship between Australia and Pakistan. Friends of the Australian community come together to acknowledge economic and trade ties and the contribution Australia makes to peace and stability in Pakistan.
This year, the events were attended by around 200–300 people in each city. Guests enjoyed photographic exhibitions on AusAID's field work in Balochistan province and another on the Pakistani Cameleers who played an important role in exploring Australia's interior from the 1860s to the 1920s.