Confusion reigns: Aspirants collect forms, don’t know what happens next

The contestants, though submitting forms individually, are required to forms panels to contest.

KARACHI:

The process for the filing of nomination papers for the local bodies elections starts today (December 26). The successive changes and amendments in the local government law, however, have left most of the aspirants in a quandary regarding the whole process.

During their visit to the offices of the district returning officers, where they were issued the nomination forms, the candidates appeared confused regarding the formation of panels, without which they will not be able to contest.



According to the election commission officials, the aspirants must receive and submit their forms individually. Moreover, the scrutiny of the forms will also be carried out on individual basis. The candidates, however, are required to become a part of a nine-member panel before the elections.

“I am contesting the elections as an independent candidate. It will be quite difficult for me to seek eight other like-minded independent candidates to constitute a panel in such a short time,” said Hakeem Baloch, a former councillor of Baloch Colony.

On their part, the election commission’s officials say that the local government law made it clear that the polls will be contested on the basis of panels, and not in an individual capacity.

“Soon after the final list of candidates is published on January 13, all political parties and independent groups will be required to submit the list of their panels. Each panel will comprise the names of their nine candidates for each UC,” the provincial election commissioner, SM Tariq Qadri told The Express Tribune.

Qadri went on to explain that the district returning officers (DRO) would tally the names of the panelists with the final list before sending the same for publication of ballot papers. Here arises another problem for the candidates. “No name of any candidate will appear on the ballot paper. The voters will cast their votes on the symbols representing panels,” he said. Most of the candidates are likely to belong to political parties that have their trademark election symbols.

The independent candidates’ panels will be allotted symbols when they submit their names for the panels with the election commission on January 13.

Another concern expressed by the candidates was the limited time given to them to prepare for the elections. “The final list of candidates will be displayed by the election commission on January 13. We will have only four days for the campaign. We have therefore requested the election commission to extend the date,” said Juman Darwan, a former UC Nazim of Orangi Town.

Darwan who belongs to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party had come with more than two dozen people to receive the nomination papers from the office of DRO West. We should be given at least a month to form the panels as well as campaign for the elections,” he stressed. Other candidates who had come to the office to collect their forms concurred.

According to the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan, it will start receiving the nomination papers today (Thursday).

This process will continue till December 29. The objections to the nomination papers will be received on December 31.

The papers will undergo scrutiny from January 1 to January 5. The appeals against acceptance and rejection may be filed from January 6 to January 7. The date for the disposal of the appeal has been fixed from January 8 to January 11. Meanwhile, January 12 has been fixed as the last date for the withdrawal of candidature. The final list of the candidates will be published on January 13.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2013.