ECP rules out new constituencies

The country’s polls supervisory authority has said it is prepared to hold general elections on October 11 if the incumbent legislatures complete their five year term on August 12.

“If the assemblies complete their term then we will hold elections in 60 days but if the government dissolves the legislatures before August 12 then elections will be held in 90 days [in November],” ECP Secretary Omer Hameed Khan said while giving a briefing to reporters on Thursday.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on July 16 said the coalition government had decided to hand over power to an interim setup before the end of its term on August 12.

According to the Constitution, the ECP must hold elections in 60 days if a government completes its five-year term. However, in case of an earlier exit, elections are held in 90 days.

The ECP secretary, however, clarified that the election constituencies will be based on the 2017 census as forming new constituencies based on the 2023 digital census “is out of question” until and unless the government notifies the census results prior to the elections.

“We completed the process of demarking constituencies in 2022 based on the 2017 census.

“However, if the government notified the results of the digital census, we will take steps according to the law and constitution,” he added.

The secretary said the ECP had written letters to the registrar of all five high courts, requesting them to nominate their judicial officers as returning officers (ROs). “However, the high courts have not yet replied to the ECP,” he said.

During the briefing, the special secretary and officials of the ECP's political finance wing told the reporters that this time the polls supervisory authority will carry out a stringent monitoring of the candidates.

They said election candidates and political parties that are found to be spending more than the prescribed amount on election campaigns will face action.

The officials said the ECP has developed software—Political Finance Management Information System (PFMIS)—for monitoring of the candidates.

This software will compile the data received from six regulatory authorities including the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).

They said the ECP will allot election symbols to the parties after this scrutiny.
Meanwhile, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has approved a summary moved by the ECP for issuance of Rs42.5 billion for holding upcoming general elections.

The ECC approved the amount as a technical supplementary grant for holding general elections in fiscal year 2023-2024, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance. The ECC has allowed releasing Rs10 billion as the first tranche. It will release the remaining amount on a need basis.