ECP to hold meeting over inconsistency of LG systems

Meeting will address slow pace of work and look to create uniformity in the local government systems of all provinces.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan has called a meeting of all stakeholders on Thursday to discuss the the issues they face in conducting local government elections in their respective provinces.

The meeting intends to address the slow pace of work and the differences between the local government systems which the provinces are going for.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan had given a September 15 deadline for conducting the polls, but the provinces are still nowhere near holding LG polls per that deadline.

The meeting, which will be held at the ECP Secretariat under the presidency of acting chief election commissioner Justice Tassaduq Jillani, will be attended by the Ministry of Interior Affairs Secretary, the chief secretaries of all four provinces, the secretaries of local government ministries as well as the chairman of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Sources in ECP told The Express Tribune the commission was concerned that different provinces opting for different systems would create many administrative and legal complications.

Punjab wants to hold LG elections on a non-party basis, while other provinces might go for party-based polls. Differences and variation in the powers of nazims and mayors would also cause problems.

ECP is likely to instruct the provinces to bring uniformity in their LG laws and go for polls simultaneously. It will also review their progress on local government legislation, delimitations and the appointment of returning officers.

Punjab and Sindh have passed local government laws. But opposition parties in their respective provinces have apprehensions over the laws adopted by the provincial legislatures. Opposition parties in Punjab have already challenged the law passed by the assembly in the court.

KPK and Balochistan are yet to enact their local government laws. All the provinces are also to conduct delimitations for local councils.

The returning officers were taken from lower judiciary-mostly district and sessions judges for May 11 general elections on a special request from the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court had decided a few years back that judicial officers should not be used for any other non-judicial function.

ECP is considering taking returning officers from other cadres for local government polls, after consulting the provinces.

Following are the agenda points of the meeting:
• Latest status with regard to enactment of Local Government Laws and Rules framed thereunder.
• Party-basis vs non-party basis and its implications.
• Delimitation.
• Uniformity of Laws on operational procedure to be followed by ECP.
• Request by Provinces/Ministry of Interior to hold elections.
• Updation of Electoral Rolls by NADRA.
• Issuance of Election Schedule.
• Appointment of Returning Officers and others as per Law.
• Finalisation of Election Symbols by ECP.
• Adoption of uniform Code of Conduct.
• Polling Day.
• Security.
• Constitution of Election Tribunals and Appellate Tribunals.
• Voters’ awareness programme.