Appointing ECP members may become a challenge
PML-N and the PPP will primarily determine the crucial appointments
Election Commission of Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
In the wake of the government-opposition stalemate over the mechanism to investigate the Panamagate scandal, the appointment of four new provincial members of the Election Commission of Pakistan within the next 45 days may become a challenging task.
The newly adopted constitutional amendment has broadened the eligibility criteria for appointments to the coveted offices of chief election commissioner (CEC) and four members that constitute the ECP.
Retirement: Last day of four ECP members in office
Other than retired judges of the superior courts, now senior bureaucrats and technocrats can also hold these offices after the 22nd amendment adopted by parliament last month. However, the procedure for new appointments will remain the same, as outlined in Article 213 of the Constitution.
The prime minister, in consultation with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, will forward three names against each post to a 12-member parliamentary committee to be constituted by the National Assembly speaker for endorsement.
The committee will have equal members from treasury and opposition benches and one-third of them will be taken from the Senate. However, given the charged political situation, a showdown between the government and opposition is likely in choosing the new members.
Just like the scenario in 2011 when the four members who retired today (Sunday) were appointed, the ruling PML-N and the PPP, will primarily determine the crucial appointments.
However, there will be more names in circulation this time than ever before due to the change in the eligibility criteria while building consensus between prime minister and leader of the opposition will be a difficult task.
More importantly, agreement within opposition on certain names will be an even more daunting task, especially in the presence of another assertive party on opposition benches, the PTI of Imran Khan.
The PTI does not have the formal office of the leader of opposition in any of the two houses of parliament but it is the second largest opposition group in the National Assembly and both the ruling PML-N and the PPP cannot ignore it.
In the given political situation, the PPP, which is more close to opposition parties these days, is expected to consult with the PTI. However, no such contact has been made so far, opposition sources said.
Polling in NA-110: SC seeks ECP report on missing election record
If the prime minister and leader of the opposition do not agree on three names for a post, each of them could send their separate list to the parliamentary committee to pick one from among their nominees.
As a one-time exercise, two of the members shall stand retired after two and a half years while the other two will retire after the next two and a half years.
The 2011 appointments
In 2011, the outgoing four members of the ECP were appointed through a consensus between the PPP and the PML-N. But, questions were raised over their selection process since no other party had any say in this appointment.
When the new procedure was adopted in the Constitution on April 19, 2010 it looked quite simple. But it took one and a half year to fill vacant slots of four members in the ECP.
One of the PML-N’s choices
Sources said the PML-N is interested in appointing a former bureaucrat, Javed Mehmood, as the new member from Punjab. He has served at key positions in Punjab and the Centre, and is considered a PML-N loyalist.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2016.
In the wake of the government-opposition stalemate over the mechanism to investigate the Panamagate scandal, the appointment of four new provincial members of the Election Commission of Pakistan within the next 45 days may become a challenging task.
The newly adopted constitutional amendment has broadened the eligibility criteria for appointments to the coveted offices of chief election commissioner (CEC) and four members that constitute the ECP.
Retirement: Last day of four ECP members in office
Other than retired judges of the superior courts, now senior bureaucrats and technocrats can also hold these offices after the 22nd amendment adopted by parliament last month. However, the procedure for new appointments will remain the same, as outlined in Article 213 of the Constitution.
The prime minister, in consultation with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, will forward three names against each post to a 12-member parliamentary committee to be constituted by the National Assembly speaker for endorsement.
The committee will have equal members from treasury and opposition benches and one-third of them will be taken from the Senate. However, given the charged political situation, a showdown between the government and opposition is likely in choosing the new members.
Just like the scenario in 2011 when the four members who retired today (Sunday) were appointed, the ruling PML-N and the PPP, will primarily determine the crucial appointments.
However, there will be more names in circulation this time than ever before due to the change in the eligibility criteria while building consensus between prime minister and leader of the opposition will be a difficult task.
More importantly, agreement within opposition on certain names will be an even more daunting task, especially in the presence of another assertive party on opposition benches, the PTI of Imran Khan.
The PTI does not have the formal office of the leader of opposition in any of the two houses of parliament but it is the second largest opposition group in the National Assembly and both the ruling PML-N and the PPP cannot ignore it.
In the given political situation, the PPP, which is more close to opposition parties these days, is expected to consult with the PTI. However, no such contact has been made so far, opposition sources said.
Polling in NA-110: SC seeks ECP report on missing election record
If the prime minister and leader of the opposition do not agree on three names for a post, each of them could send their separate list to the parliamentary committee to pick one from among their nominees.
As a one-time exercise, two of the members shall stand retired after two and a half years while the other two will retire after the next two and a half years.
The 2011 appointments
In 2011, the outgoing four members of the ECP were appointed through a consensus between the PPP and the PML-N. But, questions were raised over their selection process since no other party had any say in this appointment.
When the new procedure was adopted in the Constitution on April 19, 2010 it looked quite simple. But it took one and a half year to fill vacant slots of four members in the ECP.
One of the PML-N’s choices
Sources said the PML-N is interested in appointing a former bureaucrat, Javed Mehmood, as the new member from Punjab. He has served at key positions in Punjab and the Centre, and is considered a PML-N loyalist.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 13th, 2016.