The Punjab cabinet has approved the Punjab Local Government Bill 2012 during a meeting presided over by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. A committee was also formed during the meeting to further amend the bill. Once finalised, the bill will be presented in the Punjab Assembly.
According to the bill, local body elections will be held on non-party basis, the position of deputy commissioner, mayor and local bodies chairman will be reinstated, new job quotas are introduced with 5% allocated for youth and 33% for women. A job quota for minorities is also allocated.
Earlier, Gilani stated that the local body elections should be held on party-basis as per the ruling of the Supreme Court and clauses of the Charter of Democracy. However, the Punjab government decided to do otherwise.
It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif along with other senior party members reviewed the draft of the bill during a meeting on Wednesday. Nawaz approved the draft and allowed it to presented in the assembly.
The Punjab government had submitted a reply to the Supreme Court and said that once the bill is drafted, it will hold the local body elections.
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Nonpartisan elections allows more freedom for party members to run for election. This means elections are not orchestrated within party. It can be very beneficial. as South America has proven. Most election in America are now on a nonpartisan basis even though it has a 2 party system. Nonpartisan elections were one of the Progressive Era reforms introduced in the 19th century in America. First reform oriented local governments adopted this mechanism;but, now it is the norm.
PML N is now finding it difficult to peddle the idea of non party based local elections. Local government ststem is a broad topic and have far reaching implications for this country. Is is perhaps the most effective mean to empower the masses. But entrenched status qou, previliged in the existing set up, will never accede ground to a revolutionary change.
It is more than likely that Punjab Government will not hold local bodies elections. Their intention to hold them on non-party basis is an admission of their defeat in advance.
PML-N want to strengthen Bradari System in politics. Either they are afraid of PTI or in love of Zia. However, this will take democracy 20 Yrs back and stregthen bradari politics which we trying to get rid of.
Punjab government announced on Thursday to hold local body elections on non-party basis.
PMLN has already accepted her defeat by holding elections on non-party basis. This was the only way to save face as they are rightly afraid of PTI's success in urban areas especially in Lahore.
and PTI will boycott this election too...
I am proud of PMLN, they represent the true spirit of Punjab.
PML-N has been a political offspring of the worst dictator Gen Zia and is keeping up with his traditions. If the elections are not on party bases then how would the candidates differentiate against each other? Bradri, cast, social status, religion, sect and fanaticism all would proliferate openly. Looks like the PML-N is going back to its roots of Zia days.
@Ch Allah Daad...I am just impress with your optimism. Pls keep it up, as people like you who are surrounding NS/SS will actually take PMLN's down in the gutter.
We need more info about this new system. I don't see how the DC's office can be adjusted into a 'local government' system. This all seems like a farce to me.
Local elections on non party basis by Generals/ dictators make sencse but a political party's preference for non party arrangement exposes it's competitive weakness in political domain. Regarding restoration of Deputy Commissioner's post let me say the bureaucracy finally prevailed. Let's see what good they bring to this nation now notwithstanding their miserable failure in last six decades.
@ Lobster, There will be no change in Punjab. PML(N) will win next general election with landslide victory.
Non-party basis? PML-N just can't dissociate itself from its roots. All dictators living or dead must be very pleased.
Excellent desision, In most of the countries, local body elections are held on non-party basis. It will also save face book party from embarrassment.
Evil intentions, PML-N now wants to install its members as their government tenure ends. Better let the new provincial govt hold them