Voters line up at a Karachi polling station. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
It’s a matter of days now for the newly elected representatives to start officiating, as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued notifications on Tuesday of winning candidates of the May 11 elections.
The commission issued notifications of the returning candidates of the national and provincial assemblies in pursuance of the provisions of sub-sections (3A) and (4) of section 42 of the Representation of the People Act, 1976.
The May 11 elections were held for 849 seats of the national and provincial assemblies; however, notifications of all seats have not been issued.
“There are still 41 constituencies where elections were either postponed or terminated or re-polling and recounting has been ordered,” a senior ECP official told The Express Tribune.
To a question, he said the winning candidates had submitted details of election expenditures. “The commission will examine the expenditure details later on but for the time being they have been accepted,” he added. The commission will examine, in detail, whether the expenditure details filed by winning candidates are authentic or fake.
The official said the election tribunal would automatically start working after the issuance of winning candidates’ notifications.
Following the notifications, political parties would apprise the ECP within three days of their candidates for reserved seats for women and minorities, while independent candidates will inform the ECP about the political parties they have joined.
Sources in the National Assembly Secretariat told The Express Tribune that the oath-taking of newly elected members of the lower house could take place anytime after May 25. The inaugural session of the National Assembly is likely to be summoned on May 27, sources said.
Describing the procedure involved in summoning a session, a senior official said that the ministry of parliamentary affairs would move a summary, after which the president will summon the session.
The oath-taking ceremony and roll-signing by members will take place on the first day of the National Assembly. On the second day, newly-elected members will elect a speaker and deputy speaker, whereas on third day, they will elect a leader of the house (prime minister), the official said.
ECP upholds Rafique’s victory
Meanwhile, the ECP rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Hamid Khan’s request for re-polling in NA-125 and declared Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Saad Rafique victorious.
Hamid Khan had accused PML-N candidates and their agents of casting bogus votes and tampering with ballot boxes and ballot papers in the constituency. However, the returning officer rejected Khan’s petition.
He had claimed that polling in some stations was deliberately held at a slow pace, due to which PTI voters could not cast their votes and polling staff was favouring the PML-N candidate.
In response, the PML-N said that if polling was held at slow pace then their voters were also affected and contended that the polling staff was appointed by the caretaker government, not by their party.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2013.
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