Irregularities and hang-ups: Back to polls today
Polling had been halted earlier in certain areas due to various problems
PHOTO: AFP
MULTAN:
Re-polling will take place on Thursday (today) in the districts where local government elections had been halted or postponed due to problems with ballot papers, in areas where election material had been snatched, where law and order situations arose, because of court matters or because the returning officer had allotted the wrong symbols to some candidates. Re-polling in the rest of the districts where there were irregularities will take place on December 30.
Dera Ghazi Khan District Election Officer Asghar Daba said in Dera Ghazi Khan, there would be re-polling in eight wards on Thursday and in six wards on December 30. He said the decision had been taken to make the electoral process transparent.
“There had been law and order situations in which supporters of some candidates in certain union councils had made off with ballot boxes on December 5…we have announced re-polling in those areas.”
The district election officer said polling had been halted in Ward 4 of UC-1, Ward 6 of UC-4, Ward 5 of UC-7, Ward 2 of UC-21, Wards 5 and 6 of UC-22, Ward 4 of UC-57 and Ward 1 of UC-93. He said elections would be held there on Thursday (today). “Polling had been halted there because of violation of code of conduct and fights among various groups.”
He said polling in Ward 1 of UC-31, Ward 2 of UC-35, Ward 2 and 6 of UC-36, Ward 6 of UC-79 and Ward 4 of UC-81 would be held on December 30. He said elections had not been held in these union councils because of various reasons.
He also said that several cases had been registered with various police stations against those who had violated the election commission’s code of conduct.
In Multan district, re-polling in Ward 4 of UC-58, Ward 3 of UC-104 and Ward 1 of UC-127 will take place on Thursday. Polling had been halted in these wards after various political groups scuffled at the polling stations on December 5.
Police said security arrangements have been finalised and 150 policemen will be deployed at the three polling stations in
Dehli Gate, Qadirpur Rawan and in Basti Malook.
In Lahore, re-polling will be held in union councils where the elections had been postponed due to issues with ballot papers. Polling will start at 7am and will continue till 5pm in UC-231, Pak Colony, Ward 4 of UC-85, Ward 2 of UC-96, Ward 5 of UC62, and Ward 3 of UC-86.
In Khanewal district, re-polling will take place in two union councils and a ward of the district. Earlier, polling had been postponed in Ward 8 in Abdul Hakeem City because the returning officer had printed incorrect election symbols on ballot papers, an official of the election commission said. The ward has 2,300 registered votes and two independents candidates are pitted against each other for the chairman slot. Polling stations in this ward had been set up at the Boys High School and the Girls Higher Secondary School. In Ward 3 of UC-52 (Chogtta Punjwana) Mian Channu, polling had to be postponed because ballot papers arrived late at the polling station. Polling had been suspended in Ward 4 of UC-120, Jahanian, because the polling staff had run out of ballot papers.
Police have said that there would be no hiccups in the arrangements this time around.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2015.
Re-polling will take place on Thursday (today) in the districts where local government elections had been halted or postponed due to problems with ballot papers, in areas where election material had been snatched, where law and order situations arose, because of court matters or because the returning officer had allotted the wrong symbols to some candidates. Re-polling in the rest of the districts where there were irregularities will take place on December 30.
Dera Ghazi Khan District Election Officer Asghar Daba said in Dera Ghazi Khan, there would be re-polling in eight wards on Thursday and in six wards on December 30. He said the decision had been taken to make the electoral process transparent.
“There had been law and order situations in which supporters of some candidates in certain union councils had made off with ballot boxes on December 5…we have announced re-polling in those areas.”
The district election officer said polling had been halted in Ward 4 of UC-1, Ward 6 of UC-4, Ward 5 of UC-7, Ward 2 of UC-21, Wards 5 and 6 of UC-22, Ward 4 of UC-57 and Ward 1 of UC-93. He said elections would be held there on Thursday (today). “Polling had been halted there because of violation of code of conduct and fights among various groups.”
He said polling in Ward 1 of UC-31, Ward 2 of UC-35, Ward 2 and 6 of UC-36, Ward 6 of UC-79 and Ward 4 of UC-81 would be held on December 30. He said elections had not been held in these union councils because of various reasons.
He also said that several cases had been registered with various police stations against those who had violated the election commission’s code of conduct.
In Multan district, re-polling in Ward 4 of UC-58, Ward 3 of UC-104 and Ward 1 of UC-127 will take place on Thursday. Polling had been halted in these wards after various political groups scuffled at the polling stations on December 5.
Police said security arrangements have been finalised and 150 policemen will be deployed at the three polling stations in
Dehli Gate, Qadirpur Rawan and in Basti Malook.
In Lahore, re-polling will be held in union councils where the elections had been postponed due to issues with ballot papers. Polling will start at 7am and will continue till 5pm in UC-231, Pak Colony, Ward 4 of UC-85, Ward 2 of UC-96, Ward 5 of UC62, and Ward 3 of UC-86.
In Khanewal district, re-polling will take place in two union councils and a ward of the district. Earlier, polling had been postponed in Ward 8 in Abdul Hakeem City because the returning officer had printed incorrect election symbols on ballot papers, an official of the election commission said. The ward has 2,300 registered votes and two independents candidates are pitted against each other for the chairman slot. Polling stations in this ward had been set up at the Boys High School and the Girls Higher Secondary School. In Ward 3 of UC-52 (Chogtta Punjwana) Mian Channu, polling had to be postponed because ballot papers arrived late at the polling station. Polling had been suspended in Ward 4 of UC-120, Jahanian, because the polling staff had run out of ballot papers.
Police have said that there would be no hiccups in the arrangements this time around.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2015.