Stalled process: Punjab, Sindh drag feet on LG elections

The two provinces seek time to forward record of previous delimitations to SC

ISLAMABAD:

Local government elections in the two largest provinces seem to remain a distant dream, at least during 2015. They have already been delayed by five years and might continue unless the ruling parties show a serious will to devolve powers at the grassroots.

Despite continuous pressure from the Supreme Court and torrent of criticism in the media and civil society, LG polls appear the last thing on the agenda of ruling parties in Punjab and Sindh.

Election Commission of Pakistan had summoned the Punjab and Sindh government representatives after they failed to provide record related to delimitations in both the provinces.

Courts annulled the delimitations carried out by the PML-N government in Punjab and PPP in Sindh last year due to discrepancies. ECP was tasked to mark the boundaries of LG constituencies. It took a year for the two provinces to conduct necessary legal legislation to hand over these powers to ECP and that too on active pursuing of the Supreme Court.

On October 20, the ECP wrote to both the provinces to send the necessary record of previous delimitations they had carried out. The commission sent a reminder to them on November 7, but did not get any response.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Punjab told the commission that it would take them another 15 days to forward the record, while Sindh said it would need another month to do so.

Acting Secretary Election Commission Usman Ali said that the schedule for the delimitation of the constituencies in Sindh and Punjab would be prepared within two months. It would take the commission six months to conduct delimitations.

In K-P, the schedule for LG elections would be issued by the end of April.

Usman claimed that in the general elections 2013, 9.3 million additional ballot papers had been printed. He claimed that the printing of 5 percent additional papers is as per law.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2014.