Will elected local representatives be given adequate powers?

Opposition leaders say they welcome local government elections despite irregularities in the process

LAHORE:

Local government elections were held in the province in three phases this year after a hiatus of almost a decade.

Little or no violence was reported during the days leading up to the elections. Loss of life and limb in clashes between rival groups was not uncommon though. There were also reports of women being denied their constitutional right to vote in Mianwali, Khanewal and Nankana Sahib districts.

Despite concerns about irregularities in the conduct of elections, impartial observers and most political parties welcomed the emergence of elected leadership at the third-tier of government. Speaking to The Express Tribune, they said, however, that it remained to be seen if the local governments would be given adequate financial and administrative authority. The governments formed under the Local Government Ordinance of 2013 (amended) lacked such authority, they said. Sangat Development Foundation (SDF) executive director Zahid Islam stressed the need for more transparent conduct of elections. He said the Election of Commission of Pakistan (ECP) needed to remove irregularities in the process to ensure that the electorate was satisfied with its work. Islam said he looked forward to the elected representatives taking oath of office to see whether or not they would be allowed to function independently.

While the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) emerged as the most popular party in the province, it faced stiff competition from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in several districts. The PTI is now weighing its options for a bid to form governments in several municipal committees including the ones where it has won a majority (in Mianwali, Khushab, Layyah and Sahiwal districts).

After the elections, the PTI central and provincial leadership had expressed its reservations over irregularities. Later, the party announced support for elected representatives at the local level and sought devolution of powers to them.

In his statement after completion of three phases of elections, PTI chief Imran Khan said that his party will extend its support to the elected local governments.

PTI Punjab organiser Chaudhry Sarwar said that his party would not rest until the local governments were granted adequate powers. He said the province was still a long way from making elected local governments functional. He said negotiations were still underway between parties and independents in several districts for formation of local governments. Indirect election to women, youth, minority and labour seats had yet to be held, he said.

Sarwar said the challenge for the opposition parties would be to ensure empowerment of elected local governments. “The impression I’m getting is that the provincial government is not interested in devolving a lot of powers,” he said. The provincial government’s position on grant of fiscal autonomy to the elected local governments would tell whether or not the former was committed to devolution of powers, he said.

Zaeem Qadri, the provincial government spokesperson, said devolution of powers could be achieved by ensuring that all powers were not concentrated in a few hands. He said the provincial government would not exert any influence on the elected local governments. However, he said the oversight of elected local governments would be ensured. He said a transparent process would be put in place for disbursement of funds to the local governments.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2015.