Lax rules: Mainstream parties win ECP clearance
Symbols allocated to PML-N, PML-Q
PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Indulgent when it comes to implementing its laws, the electoral body has allowed almost all mainstream political parties to take part in elections-either giving them relaxation through judicial decisions or accepting their claimed statements on holding intra-party elections.
The ECP on Tuesday issued two separate notifications directing returning officers to allocate party symbol to candidates of two parties—PML-N and PML-Q.
In its notification, the commission said both the parties have fulfilled the condition of holding intra-party elections, without going into the details of authenticity of the exercise. A similar notification has been issued for National Party (NP), which shares ruling coalition in centre and in Balochistan.
ECP last month issued a list of 35 political parties that had not held intra-party elections and did not submit their annual account statements with the commission. Almost all mainstream parties represented in the parliament were on this list.
Political Parties Order, 2002 bars any political party from taking part in elections if it does not fulfil two conditions—hold intra-party elections within the time period mentioned in their party constitution and fail to submit statements of their accounts along with details of their source of income within two months after close of financial year.
By September 28, more than 300 political parties out of the 333 registered with ECP were yet to file their annual account statements.
Ignoring the less known ones, ECP wrote letters to 35 parties, the ones that had been taking part in elections to hold intra-party polls or risk not being allowed to participate in the upcoming polls and local government elections.
This prompted some political parties to hold a cosmetic exercise of intra-party polls. Ruling PML-N held its intra-party polls last week after a gap of six years. Under PML-N’s own constitution these elections should be held every four years.
Same goes with PML-Q, a former ruling party which elected Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as president for yet another term. PML-Q’s original constitution did not allow anyone to get elected for one office for more than two consecutive terms. Senior politician, Shujaat enjoys this privilege for the fourth consecutive term.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2016.
Indulgent when it comes to implementing its laws, the electoral body has allowed almost all mainstream political parties to take part in elections-either giving them relaxation through judicial decisions or accepting their claimed statements on holding intra-party elections.
The ECP on Tuesday issued two separate notifications directing returning officers to allocate party symbol to candidates of two parties—PML-N and PML-Q.
In its notification, the commission said both the parties have fulfilled the condition of holding intra-party elections, without going into the details of authenticity of the exercise. A similar notification has been issued for National Party (NP), which shares ruling coalition in centre and in Balochistan.
ECP last month issued a list of 35 political parties that had not held intra-party elections and did not submit their annual account statements with the commission. Almost all mainstream parties represented in the parliament were on this list.
Political Parties Order, 2002 bars any political party from taking part in elections if it does not fulfil two conditions—hold intra-party elections within the time period mentioned in their party constitution and fail to submit statements of their accounts along with details of their source of income within two months after close of financial year.
By September 28, more than 300 political parties out of the 333 registered with ECP were yet to file their annual account statements.
Ignoring the less known ones, ECP wrote letters to 35 parties, the ones that had been taking part in elections to hold intra-party polls or risk not being allowed to participate in the upcoming polls and local government elections.
This prompted some political parties to hold a cosmetic exercise of intra-party polls. Ruling PML-N held its intra-party polls last week after a gap of six years. Under PML-N’s own constitution these elections should be held every four years.
Same goes with PML-Q, a former ruling party which elected Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain as president for yet another term. PML-Q’s original constitution did not allow anyone to get elected for one office for more than two consecutive terms. Senior politician, Shujaat enjoys this privilege for the fourth consecutive term.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 26th, 2016.