Grassroots representation: Government urged to hold local bodies elections on time

Equal opportunity sought for marginalised groups to elect their representatives

LAHORE: Local government elections are the need of the hour. They can help bridge the gap between the government and the people as they are best placed to address public issues in a speedy manner, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s Standing Committee on Local Government and Housing chairman MA Farooqi said on Tuesday.

He was speaking at a conference titled Significance of Local Government System. It was organised by the South Asia Partnership (SAP) and the Development Dimension Society.

SAP Director Muhammad Tahseen chaired the conference. He said local governments provided a foundation for a democratic system. “It is people’s right to elect their representatives,” he said.Journalist Salman Abid said local government representatives better understood the problems faced by people. “They are easily available to their community,” he said.

Speakers at the conference said floods should not be used as an excuse for the government to delay local elections. They said the government should provide equal opportunities to the marginalised people in local government elections to strengthen democracy at grassroots.

‘Election, not selection’

Christian Democratic Party (CDP) Chairman Ben-Hur Yousuf said the current rulers had borrowed former president Gen Pervez Musharaf’s electoral system.

“The system is in conflict with Article 140-A and a grave violation of Article 226 of the Constitution of Pakistan.”

Yousuf said that rulers apparently intended to keep enslaved the patriotic, unprivileged and peaceful religious minorities. He said the CDP would never allow them to deprive people of their constitutional rights to elect their representatives – minorities, women, labour and youth councillors – through secret ballot.

He said a prejudiced mindset wanted to subdue minorities, particularly Christians, through constitutional provisions and electoral discrimination.

“The CDP demands that the judiciary, the Election Commission of Pakistan, lawyers’ forums and the civil society ensure implementation of Article 226. Non-Muslims, particularly Christians, should be allowed to exercise their constitutional right of franchise to elect their representatives through secret ballot to the seats reserved for minorities, women, labour and youth.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2015.