LG elections: K-P, cantonments, ICT want polls delayed
ECP asks KP govt to approach Supreme Court for extension of election date.
ECP asks KP govt to approach Supreme Court for extension of election date. PHOTO: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
After the postponement of local government (LG) elections in Sindh and Punjab, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is also seeking delay in the polls in February.
LG polls in cantonments and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are also unlikely in the next few months since parliament has yet to approve local government laws for these areas.
The K-P government has told the ECP that it cannot hold LG polls in February since the delimitation of constituencies is still ongoing.
The provincial chief secretary told the ECP on Wednesday that the provincial government could complete the delimitation process by the end of this month and the commission can issue a schedule by mid- February with the poll’s date to be fixed for the end of March.
Seeking an extension
ECP Director General (Elections) Sher Afgan said that the commission has asked the K-P government to approach the Supreme Court to seek an extension of the poll’s date.
Once the delimitation process is complete, a couple of weeks would be required to dispose of objections, after which the ECP can issue a schedule keeping in mind that it would require three to four weeks to print 90 million ballot papers.
Missed deadlines
This is the third time that LG polls have been postponed. Barring Balochistan, where LG polls were held on December 7 last year, the rest of the provinces, cantonments and ICT have yet to hold the elections.
The ECP, while seeking a delay in its earlier schedule whereby the LG polls in Sindh and Punjab were to be held on November 27 and December 7, respectively, had submitted before the Supreme Court that it would complete the electoral process throughout the country by end of February.
It had promised that polls in Sindh will be held on January 18 and in Punjab on January 27 and had issued a new schedule. Though no date was fixed for K-P, cantonment areas and ICT, the polls body had said that the electoral process in these areas will also be completed by end of February.
Cantonments
Representatives of the cantonment areas also told the ECP that they were still waiting for their legislation to be approved by parliament or through a presidential ordinance. Once the new law is in place, they would need at least 75 days to conduct delimitations accordingly. This implies that the polls in the cantonment areas are unlikely to be held in Feb.
ICT
Representatives of the ICT – where LG polls have never been held – said the proposed local government law for the ICT has been introduced in the National Assembly which has referred it to the concerned standing committee. Once the National Assembly and Senate pass the law, rules will be framed and the process of delimitation of constituencies will start. However, the ICT representatives didn’t know when parliament would pass the law.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2014.
After the postponement of local government (LG) elections in Sindh and Punjab, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government is also seeking delay in the polls in February.
LG polls in cantonments and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are also unlikely in the next few months since parliament has yet to approve local government laws for these areas.
The K-P government has told the ECP that it cannot hold LG polls in February since the delimitation of constituencies is still ongoing.
The provincial chief secretary told the ECP on Wednesday that the provincial government could complete the delimitation process by the end of this month and the commission can issue a schedule by mid- February with the poll’s date to be fixed for the end of March.
Seeking an extension
ECP Director General (Elections) Sher Afgan said that the commission has asked the K-P government to approach the Supreme Court to seek an extension of the poll’s date.
Once the delimitation process is complete, a couple of weeks would be required to dispose of objections, after which the ECP can issue a schedule keeping in mind that it would require three to four weeks to print 90 million ballot papers.
Missed deadlines
This is the third time that LG polls have been postponed. Barring Balochistan, where LG polls were held on December 7 last year, the rest of the provinces, cantonments and ICT have yet to hold the elections.
The ECP, while seeking a delay in its earlier schedule whereby the LG polls in Sindh and Punjab were to be held on November 27 and December 7, respectively, had submitted before the Supreme Court that it would complete the electoral process throughout the country by end of February.
It had promised that polls in Sindh will be held on January 18 and in Punjab on January 27 and had issued a new schedule. Though no date was fixed for K-P, cantonment areas and ICT, the polls body had said that the electoral process in these areas will also be completed by end of February.
Cantonments
Representatives of the cantonment areas also told the ECP that they were still waiting for their legislation to be approved by parliament or through a presidential ordinance. Once the new law is in place, they would need at least 75 days to conduct delimitations accordingly. This implies that the polls in the cantonment areas are unlikely to be held in Feb.
ICT
Representatives of the ICT – where LG polls have never been held – said the proposed local government law for the ICT has been introduced in the National Assembly which has referred it to the concerned standing committee. Once the National Assembly and Senate pass the law, rules will be framed and the process of delimitation of constituencies will start. However, the ICT representatives didn’t know when parliament would pass the law.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2014.