Local government ordinance: Despite claims of consensus, rifts persist between coalition partners
Even with deliberations stretching for over 48 hours, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its coalition partners still seem unlikely to promulgate the local government ordinance soon.
Sources privy to the developments confirmed that the issue remains unresolved and the ordinance may take more time. This is in spite of earlier claims by PPP and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of consensus on the matter and that a new ordinance would be issued by Tuesday.
During their meeting with PPP leaders at the Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday, representatives from both Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League Functional (PML-F) refused to follow the local government system 2001 with minor changes
Despite reassurances by PPP leader Pir Mazharul Haq – who was conducting negotiations with both parties – that the system will not be same as the one introduced by former president Pervez Musharraf, both ANP and PML-F could not be swayed.
“The new ordinance seems to be replica of the 2001 system… We cannot accept it,” maintained ANP representative and Sindh labour minister Ameer Nawaz.
PML -F leader Imtiaz Shaikh told The Express Tribune that the government did not show them the final ordinance. “The nazim or mayor should ideally look into civic and development issues, they should keep out of administratve affairs like law and order, and revenue matters,” he said.
Sources told The Express Tribune that a major hurdle in negotiations were the powers to be granted to a nazim. They say MQM, which earlier advocated the nazim’s jurisdiction over revenue and police, have now agreed to surrender both portfolios. It is still adamant, however, on retaining the nazim’s jurisdiction over other departments, which the Local Government System 2001 placed under the office.
According to sources, it has now been decided to set up five metropolitan corporations in Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana. Commissioners will continue overseeing revenue and law and order, but will share other responsibilities with chief metropolitan officers. Nazims have also been given all financial and administrative powers, which earlier lay with the provincial government, the sources informed.
Despite several attempts, MQM leaders did not speak on the issue.
Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ayaz Soomro claimed the draft of the ordinance has been finalised. “We have to take our partners into confidence. Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid has agreed, but we have to convince PML-F, ANP and National Peoples Party on the issue,” he told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2012.
COMMENTS (3)
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When the elected members take a decision, should it not be implemented, why we keep on asking and involving Supreme Court and at the same say that the judiciary is biased, if the elected members keep on taking decisions for personal benefit and ignore the electoral, they themselves defy the democratic norms and allow room for non-democratic forces. These so called democratic parties should be banned from politics and excluded from mainstream political process. Pakistan is in a great quagmire of issues and such non-democratic political parties are responsible for these issues. If PML-F and ANP are not willing to accept LG ordinance they should record their protest rather than adopting non democratic ways to undermine democracy.
There should be no role of commissioners in the local govt affairs, may it be revenue collection, or law and order. Police should be under police services board (public safety commissions) as IN ALL WESTERN COUNTRIES, not under the Nazim. Follow other safest countries. Colonial systems should change. Commissioners, DCs, ADCs and political agents (in FATA) are Colonial-era systems. Feudals are our new colonial masters. They use civil servants to rule. It should change.
The system of Nazim is very good.