Election Commission of Pakistan. PHOTO: FILE
On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) released its consolidated report on the LG polls held in stages during the past three years in the country.
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The polls saw an overall voter turnout of 46%, compared to 51% recorded in the 2013 general elections. Historically, turnout in LG elections is higher than general elections as candidates from the grassroots level contest these polls within their areas.
Punjab and Sindh – the two most populated provinces – went to polls at the local level after almost a decade last year after apparently deliberate delays on part of political governments. The polls were held in three phases completing in December last year.
Even now, city governments have yet to become functional in both provinces.
Except in Punjab where the turnout increased from 58.38% in general elections of May 2013 to 61.1% in the LG polls, all three provinces witnessed a decline.
Sindh recorded a turnout of 46.2% in LG polls as compared to the 52% of last general elections. Balochistan, which was the first province to go to LG polls in December 2013, had the lowest turnout with only 26.84% voters coming out to vote.
Similarly in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), where LG polls were held in May 2015, the turnout declined, although minutely. The province recorded a turnout of 43.52% as compared to the 44.64% observed in the general elections.
The ECP report also points out some interesting statistics from Lahore. In the posh Model Town and Gulberg union councils, the voter turnout was only 37% and 39%, respectively. In the areas around Wagah and Gowind, the turnout was 66% and 70%, respectively.
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Karachi – the largest city of the country – had an overall turnout of 36%, much lower than Sindh’s average of 46%.
In K-P’s provincial capital Peshawar, the turnout stood at 32% while the highest turnout among the main cities and towns was recorded in DI Khan with 57.77% people coming out to vote.
Out of the 326 parties registered with the ECP at the time of LG polls, only 91 fielded candidates. Just 10 parties, including the mainstream PML-N, PPP, PTI, MQM, JUI-F, JI, PkMAP, PML-Q, NP and ANP, could form governments in any district across the country.
The ECP report also provided province-wise details of the expenses incurred by the government on staging the much-awaited LG polls. Overall the elections cost Rs6.2 billion.
The authorities spent Rs558 million in organising elections in Balochistan; Rs838 million in K-P; Rs3.01 billion in Punjab; Rs1.6 billion in Sindh; and Rs237 million in Islamabad.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2016.
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