ECP to withhold notifications of MPs not submitting expenditure details

ECP directs political parties to submit consolidated statements of accounts duly audited Aug 29

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday said it would not issue official notification of any successful candidates who fail to submit details of their election expenditure before the due date.

According to an ECP official, the commission had fixed August 4 as the last date for submission of details of election expenditure.

He said under Section 93 (3) of Election Act 2017, every successful candidate had to submit election expenditure details within 10 days of the election with the returning officer concerned.

He said the commission would issue official notifications of successful candidates in the general election 2018 after receiving their expenses details.

However, notifications would be withheld for winning candidates who failed to submit their expense declarations.

After the issuance of notifications, independent candidates would have three days to join any party, he added.

The strength of all political parties in the national and provincial assemblies will be determined after the inclusion of independent candidates, after which the ECP will issue notification of successful candidates for the reserved seats.

It is a constitutional obligation that the first session of the new National Assembly should be convened within 21 days of the elections so that the election of a new prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker may be carried out.

Candidates who have won the election from more than one constituency can retain only one seat by retiring from the others within three days of the notification.

Meanwhile, the ECP has directed all political parties to submit consolidated statements of accounts duly audited by a chartered accountant for the financial year of 2017-18 by August 29.

Political parties, in terms of Section 210 of the Election Act-2017, were required to provide accounts of annual income, expenses, sources of funds, and assets and liabilities, it said.

The statement of accounts can be submitted on the Form-D prescribed by the Election Act, 2017.

The printed forms are available at the Election Commission Secretariat and in the offices of provincial election commissioners. The forms can also be downloaded from the ECP's website.

The commission said that statement would be delivered to the ECP Secretary in its Secretariat through an office-bearer of the party, duly authorised by the party leader.

Under Rule 156 of Election Rules, statements received through the post, fax, courier service or any other transmission method would not be entertained.