Delayed, again: All nomination papers filed so far stand null and void
ECP to announce new date for LG polls.
Over 65,000 aspiring candidates have filed nomination papers to contest the polls. PHOTO: ONLINE/FILE
KARACHI:
The district returning officers on Monday finally received the long-awaited directions signalling a delay in the local government elections in Sindh.
Over 65,000 aspiring candidates have filed nomination papers to contest the polls in Sindh, which were earlier scheduled for January 18. After the recent directives, however, the nomination forms will be considered null and void.
On the other hand, those candidates who have already filed their papers will not be charged the fee a second time. “We were following the schedule and were about to allot the election symbols to the candidates. This has been postponed following the directions issued by the provincial election commission,” reported Malir deputy commissioner, Qazi Jan Muhammad, who was performing the role of a district returning officer (DRO).
Meanwhile, a senior official of the provincial election commission told The Express Tribune that, “The new polls will now be held after a revision of the local government act and fresh delimitations of union councils. This may take months, not days.”
This is the second time that the local government elections have been postponed. Earlier, the polls had been scheduled for November 27.
They had to be delayed because almost all political parties had expressed discontent with the schedule, demanding more time for delimitations and elections.
Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports that the federal government was considering to conduct a population census before the delimitation of the union councils. According to the provincial election commissioner, SM Tariq Qadri, the new schedule for the elections will be announced after consultation with all stakeholders, especially the provincial governments. “Ideally, the new delimitation should be conducted on the basis of a fresh census. If so, the LG elections can be delayed for an indefinite period of time.”
More than 13,000 candidates had submitted their forms in Karachi. None of the candidates, however, were sure about the elections. Due to the confusion and uncertainty that prevailed, none of the political parties have even started their campaigns properly. Moreover, the majority of the candidates had expressed skepticism regarding the polls, but had submitted their forms to fulfill the requirements.
The uncertainty had deepened when the Sindh High Court had declared the third amendment in the local government act and delimitations of the union council unconstitutional. Later, the Sindh government had challenged the verdict in the apex court, a decision on which is yet be made.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2014.
The district returning officers on Monday finally received the long-awaited directions signalling a delay in the local government elections in Sindh.
Over 65,000 aspiring candidates have filed nomination papers to contest the polls in Sindh, which were earlier scheduled for January 18. After the recent directives, however, the nomination forms will be considered null and void.
On the other hand, those candidates who have already filed their papers will not be charged the fee a second time. “We were following the schedule and were about to allot the election symbols to the candidates. This has been postponed following the directions issued by the provincial election commission,” reported Malir deputy commissioner, Qazi Jan Muhammad, who was performing the role of a district returning officer (DRO).
Meanwhile, a senior official of the provincial election commission told The Express Tribune that, “The new polls will now be held after a revision of the local government act and fresh delimitations of union councils. This may take months, not days.”
This is the second time that the local government elections have been postponed. Earlier, the polls had been scheduled for November 27.
They had to be delayed because almost all political parties had expressed discontent with the schedule, demanding more time for delimitations and elections.
Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports that the federal government was considering to conduct a population census before the delimitation of the union councils. According to the provincial election commissioner, SM Tariq Qadri, the new schedule for the elections will be announced after consultation with all stakeholders, especially the provincial governments. “Ideally, the new delimitation should be conducted on the basis of a fresh census. If so, the LG elections can be delayed for an indefinite period of time.”
More than 13,000 candidates had submitted their forms in Karachi. None of the candidates, however, were sure about the elections. Due to the confusion and uncertainty that prevailed, none of the political parties have even started their campaigns properly. Moreover, the majority of the candidates had expressed skepticism regarding the polls, but had submitted their forms to fulfill the requirements.
The uncertainty had deepened when the Sindh High Court had declared the third amendment in the local government act and delimitations of the union council unconstitutional. Later, the Sindh government had challenged the verdict in the apex court, a decision on which is yet be made.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2014.