14 parties registered but Musharraf has to wait

ISLAMABAD:

The newly constituted Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in its maiden meeting on Wednesday enlisted 14 new political parties while the issue of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) which is facing legal objections over its proposed name and electoral symbol has been deferred.

While dozens of parties are registered with the commission, only a few actively participate in the election process.

The commission recommended the parliament to give constitutional cover to validate 23 MPs elected in by-polls held while the ECP was functioning without its four mandatory members.

The cabinet has also given approval to give legal cover to these 23 members by introducing 20th amendment in the constitution.

These 23 lawmakers, including three Senators, nine National Assembly and 11 provincial assemblies’ members were elected after April 2010 when the 18th amendment was adopted.

The commission also decided that instead of serving judges, retired High Court judges will head election tribunals to decide election related petitions in all provinces. These retired judges will be bound to decide such appeals within 120 days.

The commission approved the plan of revision of electoral lists with the cooperation of NADRA while it also fixed July 9 as the new date for by-elections in PB-26 Jaffarabad.

Meanwhile, the ECP did not take up registration of Musharraf’s APML, applied by his party members last year. Sources in the ECP said two separate objections against Musharraf’s party were pending before the commission.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16th, 2011.