‘PA must pass PLGO for holding LG polls’

Ordinance is set to expire on June 10, and it needs to be passed by legislature

LAHORE:

The Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021 (PLGO 2021), after an extension of 90 days by the Provincial Assembly of Punjab, is set to expire on June 10, 2022, and unless it is passed by the Punjab Assembly, holding of local government elections in Punjab might not be possible.

These concerns were raised at a consultative forum organized by PILDAT in Lahore in collaboration with the UNDP on the subject of “Effective Local Governments”.

Abdul Hameed, Director Elections, ECP, told the participants of the forum that the ECP had concluded the process of delimitation in Punjab for holding of local government elections.

Since candidates could not contest LG elections as independents, they are required to enlist with the ECP as an electoral group, he said.

This process of enlistment had begun, and it would be concluded by March 28, 2022.

He also said that the ECP had proposed a number of amendments to the Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021 (PLGO 2021) to the provincial government.

In his welcome remarks, Qasim Janjua, said that the UNDP had been working with the federal and provincial governments to strengthen effective and accountable democratic governance.

Earlier, together with PILDAT, the UNDP had organized consultative forums on the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2021. Since preparations are underway to hold local government elections in all the four provinces, consultation forums are organized in provincial capitals to gather recommendations from citizens on how to have effective local government system in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2022.