Local govt polls: ECP to seek more time for delimitation process

Officials raise questions over legislation by Sindh and Punjab

ISLAMABAD:

With the deadline inching closer, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is expected to approach the Supreme Court to seek a revised schedule for local government elections in Punjab and Sindh.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior ECP official revealed that the commission will not be able to complete the ‘gigantic task’ of the delimitation process for LG elections in Sindh and Punjab in 45 days, suggesting that the poll body would require more time.

Earlier this year, the apex court had given five months to the federal and provincial governments to enact the appropriate legislation to empower the ECP to carry out the delimitation process for the polls. After the legislation, the commission is allowed 45 days to complete the delimitation process so that elections can be held by November 15, 2014.

Expressing reservations over legislations by the provinces, the official said that the delimitation process requires a constitutional amendment by parliament which would empower the poll body to undertake the task in a free, fair and transparent manner.

He said that the commission has already requested the court to revisit its March 19 and March 20 rulings to complete the delimitation process in two provinces within 45 days.

In its petition, the poll body had contended that undertaking delimitation of constituencies in Punjab would be a huge exercise and would require more than 45 days to complete.

The poll body said that provincial election commissioners have indicated that it would approximately six to nine months to accomplish the task of delimitation.

The petition also pointed out that Local Government Acts of Sindh and Balochistan allowed 60 to 120 days for holding the LG polls after the receipt of formal request from provincial government. But no such timeframe had been provided in Local Government Acts of Punjab and the K-P, it added.

“Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter and to ensure fairness and transparency of the elections, this court may consider allowing a minimum 90 days to the ECP to conduct local government elections in the provinces,” the commission requested in its petition.

Subsequently, a senior ECP official said that LG polls might be deferred in Punjab and Sindh till May next year if the poll body’s plea was accepted by the court.

Meanwhile, commenting on the issue, a law officer hailing from Punjab said that the provincial government plans to amend the Local Government Act 2013 which would pave way for the poll body to delimit local areas.

In addition, the law officer said that the Punjab government will inform the apex court on Tuesday that legislation for the LG elections had been completed and now it is the poll body’s duty to complete the delimitation process within 45 days in view of the court’s March 19 judgment. A similar assurance has already been given by the Sindh government to the court.

The move comes after the federal government promulgated an ordinance to amend the Delimitation of Constituencies Act 1974, allowing the poll body to demarcate areas in accordance with the court’s direction.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 13^th, 2014.