By-elections: ECP bars all lawmakers from canvassing

Rule earlier applied only to president, PM, chief ministers, and ministers

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has barred all members of the national and provincial assemblies from canvassing support for by-elections.

The amended rule will be applicable on all the elected members of the assemblies, irrespective of being in the government or in the opposition. After this amendment, no elected member of the Senate, the National Assembly or any of the provincial assemblies would be allowed to campaign for their party candidate in any constituency where the by-poll would be conducted. Besides party leaders sitting on government benches, the new rule would also affect top leaders of the mainstream political parties in the opposition.

This rule was earlier restricted to the president, prime minister, chief ministers and all the federal and provincial ministers.

“After the issuance of the schedule of by-elections,” reads the notification issued by the ECP, “the president, prime minister, chairman / deputy chairman Senate, speakers of assemblies, federal ministers and advisers to the prime minister and the chief minister, provincial ministers and advisers to the prime minister and the chief minister, members of the National Assembly / provincial assembly and other public office holders will neither visit the area of any constituency nor shall openly or in secret give any subscription or donation or make promise for giving such subscription or donation to any institution of a constituency, nor shall inaugurate, commit to undertake or announce any development project of a candidate of his choice and thereby influence the results of the election.”

An ECP official told The Express Tribune that the step was taken after receiving complaints about political parties using low-profile ministers in campaigning for party candidates during by-polls.

“One such complaint was received from NA-108 (Mandi Bahauddin-I). The seat had fallen vacant after the disqualification of Ijaz Chaudhry, who had joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf a few months ago.” Quoting the complainant, the ECP official said a provincial minister had visited the constituency and announced some development projects as part of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s election campaign.

“Punjab Women Development Minister Hameeda Waheeduddin, who had visited the constituency to make the announcement, has been served a notice,” the ECP  official said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2015.