ECP relaxes condition of bank accounts for prospective candidates

Candidates argue they cannot open a bank account on the last day for submitting forms since its a Sunday.


March 30, 2013
File photo of Election commission office. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday relaxed the conditions of opening a new bank account for the prospective election candidates to justify the election expenditures within the announced limits.

According to a notification issued by the ECP on Saturday, the authority has decided that all the prospective candidates who would file nomination papers on March 31, 2013 can either provide the number of their existing account in any bank, if any, or open new bank account and provide that number to the Returning Officers concerned on the day of scrutiny of their nomination papers.

The statement added that the decision was taken after a number of prospective candidates called the ECP and told them that it was not possible to open new bank accounts on  March 31, 2013 given banks are closed on Sunday.

The candidates argued that since an account won’t be opened in time, they could not indicate an account number in the relevant column.

ECP Balochistan offices to open on holidays

The offices of Election Commission Balochistan will remain open in holidays.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, the Provincial Election Commissioner Balochistan Sultan Bayazeed said that offices would remain open in holidays in order to facilitate candidates to submit their nomination forms.

The candidates can also submit their nomination forms during weekly off days, he said.

COMMENTS (7)

SHB | 11 years ago | Reply

@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks: You are very right. Their applications should be rejected and thrown in the trash bin.

Raham Dil | 11 years ago | Reply

ECP should get information of all accounts belonging to the prospective candidates and their relatives. This is a must as even otherwise there are likely to be other loopholes to ECP's ability to do accountability. And, no further leniency should be shown and no more relaxations, if fair elections are to be ensured.

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