Local bodies system: PML-N rejects election commission’s proposal
ECP last week advised provinces to devise standardised system.
ISLAMABAD:
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has rejected as impractical a proposal by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to formulate a uniform local bodies system in all provinces.
“It is not possible … I fail to understand how the ECP can advise provinces on a subject that belongs to them,” a spokesperson for the party said on Monday, casting doubts on a federal government plan to hold polls next year.
“The Punjab assembly is sovereign and will decide what system suits the province,” Senator Pervez Rasheed told The Express Tribune.
The ECP last week reiterated its advice to provinces to devise a standardised system for local governments, arguing it would help the commission hold elections all over Pakistan under the same regulations.
Both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have time and again announced that 2011 would be the year for local government elections in Pakistan.
The local bodies have been declared as one of the provincial subjects in the 18th constitutional amendment and federating units are now empowered to have a system of their own choice. PML-N is in the process of finalising a proposal for the provincial authorities on how it should go about putting in place a mechanism for holding local government polls. Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf introduced a uniform system for the entire country in an ordinance he issued in 2001.
A PML-N committee assigned to furnish proposals for the Punjab government held a meeting on Monday. Officials from the party said the thrust would be on defining the powers of local and provincial governments.
“There were a lot of flaws in the system given by the dictator including a lack of coordination between provincial and local governments due to which people’s problems were aggravated,” an official said.
“No system is perfect. Governments all over the world introduce changes in public interest to improve their mechanism of public service and its delivery.”
Senator Rasheed hoped the Punjab government would be able to hold local government elections next year but declined to give any specific timeframe.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2010.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has rejected as impractical a proposal by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to formulate a uniform local bodies system in all provinces.
“It is not possible … I fail to understand how the ECP can advise provinces on a subject that belongs to them,” a spokesperson for the party said on Monday, casting doubts on a federal government plan to hold polls next year.
“The Punjab assembly is sovereign and will decide what system suits the province,” Senator Pervez Rasheed told The Express Tribune.
The ECP last week reiterated its advice to provinces to devise a standardised system for local governments, arguing it would help the commission hold elections all over Pakistan under the same regulations.
Both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani have time and again announced that 2011 would be the year for local government elections in Pakistan.
The local bodies have been declared as one of the provincial subjects in the 18th constitutional amendment and federating units are now empowered to have a system of their own choice. PML-N is in the process of finalising a proposal for the provincial authorities on how it should go about putting in place a mechanism for holding local government polls. Former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf introduced a uniform system for the entire country in an ordinance he issued in 2001.
A PML-N committee assigned to furnish proposals for the Punjab government held a meeting on Monday. Officials from the party said the thrust would be on defining the powers of local and provincial governments.
“There were a lot of flaws in the system given by the dictator including a lack of coordination between provincial and local governments due to which people’s problems were aggravated,” an official said.
“No system is perfect. Governments all over the world introduce changes in public interest to improve their mechanism of public service and its delivery.”
Senator Rasheed hoped the Punjab government would be able to hold local government elections next year but declined to give any specific timeframe.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2010.