Capital's LG polls delayed as law reshapes system

President issues ordinance to overhaul local governance in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD:

Islamabad's local government elections have once again been postponed after the president promulgated the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance, introducing a major overhaul of the capital's municipal governance structure.

Under the ordinance, the existing metropolitan corporation system in the federal capital has been abolished and replaced with a new town corporation framework. Islamabad will now be divided into three town corporations, aligned with the city's three National Assembly constituencies.

According to the ordinance, each town corporation will comprise a number of union councils as notified by the federal government. The government will have the authority to amend the boundaries of town corporations and union councils after hearing public objections.

However, no changes to delimitations will be allowed once the election schedule is formally announced. The ordinance defines 'local government' as comprising union councils and town corporations.

In areas where a local government is not functional, the government will appoint an administrator. The term 'head' refers to the mayor of a town corporation or the chairman of a union council.

Under the new administrative structure, each town corporation will have one mayor and two deputy mayors. Union council chairmen will serve as general members of their respective town corporations.

In addition, each town corporation will include representation through reserved seats, comprising four women members, one farmer or worker, one trader or businessman, one youth and one non-Muslim member.

At the union council level, general members will be elected through secret ballot, with the entire union council declared a multi-member ward. Each voter will be entitled to cast one vote for one general member candidate, while nine candidates securing the highest number of votes will be declared elected. Successful candidates will be allowed to join any political party within 30 days of their election.

General members of the Union Council will elect members on the reserved seats through show of hands. General and reserved-seat members together will then elect the chairman and vice chairman, also through show of hands. The chairman and vice chairman will similarly be permitted to join a political party within 30 days after their election.

The union council chairman will automatically serve as a general member of the town corporation. At the town corporation level, general members will elect members on reserved seats through show of hands.

All members of the town corporation will jointly elect the mayor and deputy mayors by majority vote. Only a town corporation member will be eligible to contest the mayoral or deputy mayoral elections.