Govt notifies 66-member Metropolitan Corporation

Nine seats reserved for women, two each for youth and non-Muslims

ISLAMABAD: The government on Thursday notified the composition of the Metropolitan Corporation (MC) which will be elected to run the capital’s affairs following the November 30 local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT).

The 66-member Metropolitan Corporation has been notified in pursuance of Section 12 of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act 2015, reads a notification issued by the Interior Ministry.

According to the bill, a two-tier local government system in the federal capital will consist of 50 union councils (UC) and a MC.

Each union council will consist of 13 members including a chairman and a vice-chairman --- who would contest as joint candidates --- six general members, two women, one peasant/worker, one youth, and a non-Muslim member.

In the first phase of the elections, some 680,612 registered voters of the capital territory would directly elect 13 members for each of their respective union councils.

A total of 650 members will be directly elected for 50 notified union councils.

In second phase, a 66-member MC will be formed through direct voting among elected members of the 50 UCs.

According to the notification, the MC will consist of chairmen of all UCs, nine women members, two peasant/worker members, one technocrat, two youth members, and two non-Muslim members.

Besides 50 elected chairmen of UCs, the rest of the 16 members would be chosen through elections among the 650 UC members.

In the first session of the MC, all members would vote to elect a mayor and a deputy mayor as joint candidates.

The process of local government elections will be completed with the election of mayor and deputy mayor.

Several functions currently being performed by the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration and the Capital Development Authority, along with the services of their employees, will be devolved to the local government.

The MC will be responsible for sanitation, sports and culture, civic management, water and sewerage, zoo, wildlife and bulk water supply, among other functions.

The Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday completed the process of collecting nomination forms from candidates who intend to contest the union council elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 30^th, 2015.