LG polls Phase II: Over 2,000 seats won unopposed

Elections for second phase of local bodies in Balochistan for 2,298 vacant seats are scheduled to take place on May 29

QUETTA:

Elections for the second phase of local bodies in Balochistan for the 2,298 vacant seats are scheduled to take place on May 29.

The deadline for the withdrawal of nomination papers for the reserved seats ended on Wednesday.

According to the provincial Election Commissioner Sultan Bayzeed, as many as 817 women candidates have been elected unopposed on seats reserved for women in local bodies’ second phase of election.

As many as 1,690 candidates have been elected unopposed out of the total 4, 561 reserved seats. Out of the total  743  seats reserved for peasants 266 were elected unopposed while out of the 783 seats reserved for social workers, 281 candidates were elected unopposed.

Half of the seats reserved for non-Muslims will remain vacant. Out of a total of 743 seats 126 non-Muslims were elected unopposed.

“As many as 514 seats reserved for the non Muslims will remain vacant as the population of the minority is low in Balochistan,” Bayzeed said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2014.