Local government polls: Seats outnumber contestants in districts South, Malir

KARACHI:

Lukewarm response was seen in the process of filing nomination papers for the upcoming local government elections in two districts — South and Malir — in the last two days. The number of seats in these districts is more than the nomination papers filed by the candidates.

According to the information provided by retuning officers, only 329 persons have filed their nomination papers in district South against a total of 423 seats in 47 union committees. Similarly, only 304 people showed up against a total of 342 seats in Malir district.

"There are a total of 38 union committees in our district. Nine candidates — six on general seats and one each on woman, labour/peasant and non-Muslim — are contesting in every union committee.  The seats are available, but we are short of 38 candidates so far," a returning officer of district Malir told The Express Tribune, while sharing the details of nomination papers filed between December 26 and December 27.



The process of submitting the nomination papers started on December 26 and in the first two days, 4,761 people filed their nomination papers. District Central stood first in terms of submission of nomination papers, where 1,361 people filed their papers. Meanwhile, Korangi  district stood second with 1,181 nomination papers. Similarly, 804 nomination papers have been filed in district East and 782 in district West.  The officials said that the final date for the submission of nomination forms is December 29, but the turnout is very low because of the prevailing uncertainty regarding holding of the elections on time.

District Malir Deputy Commissioner Qazi Jan Mohammad, who is also the returning officer of the district, links the low turnout to public holidays, which, according to him, were lean days.  "Around nine retuning officers have setup their offices in my district and they even work on public holidays. It is the job of the political parties to convince their candidates to submit nomination papers," he opined.

Local Government Director Rubina Asif, who is coordinating and monitoring the process of nomination forms, told The Express Tribune that the total numbers of nomination forms submitted in Karachi are more than the seats.

She further said there are a total of 268 union committees in Karachi, with around 2,412 seats and so far around 6,000 people have submitted the forms in the last three days.

"This is the total number I have received from the offices of the DROs," she said.

On their part, leaders of various political parties, including Pakistan Peoples Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Jammat-e-Islami and Awami National Party, in separate statements, said on Saturday that the candidates of their parties were actively engaged in the receiving and submission of the nomination forms and they would contest the elections, come what may.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2013.