Minority members on reserved seats to be elected through indirect voting
Under the Sindh Local Government Act 2015, minorities can no longer vote directly to elect members
Under the Sindh Local Government Act 2015, minorities can no longer vote directly to elect members. PHOTO: MOHAMMAD NOMAN/EXPRESS
KARACHI:
The minority communities in Sindh are troubled yet again. For the upcoming local government elections, they have been deprived of the right to vote for their own candidates as the non-Muslims nominated on the reserved seats for minorities will be elected by members of union councils and union committees.
"We can't bring in our own people by voting. The minorities' [members] on reserved seats will be elected through indirect voting by members of the House instead of being directly elected by the community," explained a frustrated Christian activist, Zahid Farooq. To discuss the issue, Christians and Hindus sat inside a hall at the Holy Trinity Church on Wednesday along with social activists. They realised that they are too late to address the issue. Nonetheless, they decided to challenge this in court and hold a press conference.
The act
In the last two LG elections in the province in 2001 and 2005, the minorities had the right to elect their own candidates through direct voting. "Muslims and non-Muslims were both able to vote for the candidate nominated on reserved seats for minorities," said activist Mir Zulfiqar Ali of NOW Communities.
However, under the Sindh Local Government Act 2015, the members elected on general seats will now be the ones who will elect the minority candidates on reserved seats through secret balloting. In the new setup, there will be four general councillors and a vice-chairperson and chairperson from each union committee (urban areas) and union council (rural areas). These six people will elect a minority councillor nominated by their respective political party.
Moreover, it is not only the minorities who would be elected by these six members. Candidates on other reserved seats, including two seats for women, one for labour and one for youth, will also be elected through the votes of these members.
Activists also shared that in Karachi's six districts, the minorities in the upcoming elections have 213 reserved seats in the urban areas and 23 in the rural areas of the city. Previously, minorities were allocated two seats in areas where they were more than 10 per cent of the population.
Political parties
The minorities now want political parties to give tickets to them on general seats. "In areas where the minorities are in majority, political parties should be bound to nominate only the minorities," said Hindu representative Jaipal Chhabria.
Minorities have reservations that political parties will not give tickets on general seats to members of their communities. "We are in the minorities. Why would they give [general seats] to us?" said Farooq, adding that Christians have higher population in areas such as Azam Basti, Essa Nagri, Pahar Ganj and Akhtar Colony.
Meanwhile, political parties have vowed that they will nominate minorities on general seats. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Taj Haider said that they have instructions from the party to give as many tickets to minorities and women as they can. "We will give ticket to the minorities as we will benefit from them in the next general elections when they give vote to us," he said, laughing. "And [to] women, so they can go into homes during campaigns. Politicians are selfish."
Muttahida Qaumi Movement's Ali Raza Abidi said that his party will give tickets to minority members in Christian-populated areas, including Azam Basti that falls in his constituency. "Since Christians are in majority in union council III, we will nominate them for the general seats, including those of chairperson and vice-chairperson."
Making it simple
Former Sindh election commissioner Sohno Khan Baloch told The Express Tribune that direct voting of the reserved seats of minorities has been done away with to make the overall voting process easier. “There were problems in the last elections and, to make the process easier, the minorities will be elected by the members.”
However, he was of the view that this doesn’t take away any right from the minorities as the reserved seats belong to them and Muslims cannot contest on them. “Along with contesting the reserved seats, non-Muslims can contest the general seats.” However, a Christian naib nazim from Akhtar Colony during the last LG elections, Anthony Naveed, said that he will not contest the elections again since he is opposed to the current system of voting. He was awarded a ticket by the PPP in the last elections and bagged 2,900 votes. He was of the view that parties should encourage minorities. “I oppose the system of indirect voting of minorities and, just like I was elected as [a result of] direct voting, people should also [be able to] vote for their own candidates,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2015.
The minority communities in Sindh are troubled yet again. For the upcoming local government elections, they have been deprived of the right to vote for their own candidates as the non-Muslims nominated on the reserved seats for minorities will be elected by members of union councils and union committees.
"We can't bring in our own people by voting. The minorities' [members] on reserved seats will be elected through indirect voting by members of the House instead of being directly elected by the community," explained a frustrated Christian activist, Zahid Farooq. To discuss the issue, Christians and Hindus sat inside a hall at the Holy Trinity Church on Wednesday along with social activists. They realised that they are too late to address the issue. Nonetheless, they decided to challenge this in court and hold a press conference.
The act
In the last two LG elections in the province in 2001 and 2005, the minorities had the right to elect their own candidates through direct voting. "Muslims and non-Muslims were both able to vote for the candidate nominated on reserved seats for minorities," said activist Mir Zulfiqar Ali of NOW Communities.
However, under the Sindh Local Government Act 2015, the members elected on general seats will now be the ones who will elect the minority candidates on reserved seats through secret balloting. In the new setup, there will be four general councillors and a vice-chairperson and chairperson from each union committee (urban areas) and union council (rural areas). These six people will elect a minority councillor nominated by their respective political party.
Moreover, it is not only the minorities who would be elected by these six members. Candidates on other reserved seats, including two seats for women, one for labour and one for youth, will also be elected through the votes of these members.
Activists also shared that in Karachi's six districts, the minorities in the upcoming elections have 213 reserved seats in the urban areas and 23 in the rural areas of the city. Previously, minorities were allocated two seats in areas where they were more than 10 per cent of the population.
Political parties
The minorities now want political parties to give tickets to them on general seats. "In areas where the minorities are in majority, political parties should be bound to nominate only the minorities," said Hindu representative Jaipal Chhabria.
Minorities have reservations that political parties will not give tickets on general seats to members of their communities. "We are in the minorities. Why would they give [general seats] to us?" said Farooq, adding that Christians have higher population in areas such as Azam Basti, Essa Nagri, Pahar Ganj and Akhtar Colony.
Meanwhile, political parties have vowed that they will nominate minorities on general seats. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Taj Haider said that they have instructions from the party to give as many tickets to minorities and women as they can. "We will give ticket to the minorities as we will benefit from them in the next general elections when they give vote to us," he said, laughing. "And [to] women, so they can go into homes during campaigns. Politicians are selfish."
Muttahida Qaumi Movement's Ali Raza Abidi said that his party will give tickets to minority members in Christian-populated areas, including Azam Basti that falls in his constituency. "Since Christians are in majority in union council III, we will nominate them for the general seats, including those of chairperson and vice-chairperson."
Making it simple
Former Sindh election commissioner Sohno Khan Baloch told The Express Tribune that direct voting of the reserved seats of minorities has been done away with to make the overall voting process easier. “There were problems in the last elections and, to make the process easier, the minorities will be elected by the members.”
However, he was of the view that this doesn’t take away any right from the minorities as the reserved seats belong to them and Muslims cannot contest on them. “Along with contesting the reserved seats, non-Muslims can contest the general seats.” However, a Christian naib nazim from Akhtar Colony during the last LG elections, Anthony Naveed, said that he will not contest the elections again since he is opposed to the current system of voting. He was awarded a ticket by the PPP in the last elections and bagged 2,900 votes. He was of the view that parties should encourage minorities. “I oppose the system of indirect voting of minorities and, just like I was elected as [a result of] direct voting, people should also [be able to] vote for their own candidates,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2015.