February 26, 2002	Tuesday	Zilhaj 13, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 25: The government is all set to introduce a law under which the political parties getting less than 10 per cent of votes for the general seats, will not be entitled to contest elections for the seats reserved for women and technocrats.

Official sources said that an ordinance had been sent to President Pervez Musharraf for signature and it would be promulgated within days.

Any political party securing less than 10 per cent of the total votes in the general seats, will not be entitled to contest for any reserved seats.

However, an exception is likely to be created for a situation in which only one party secured 10 per cent of votes. In that case the next party with five per cent of votes will be entitled to nominate candidates for reserved seats on the basis of votes it secured in the national and provincial assembly elections.

Election to general seats of National Assembly and provincial assemblies will be held on the basis of single member territorial constituency method and they will be elected by a direct vote.

The whole province will be a constituency for the reserved seats of women and technocrats. Such seats will be allocated on the basis of population.

The National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) is at present working on a definition of the technocrat which shall be acceptable to all quarters.

The NRB definition says a technocrat means a person with at least masters’ degree or equivalent professional qualification and is a person of distinction, recognized nationally and internationally for his professional competence and has a minimum of 15 years’ experience at a high level, either in administration or management or in the field of his specialization.

The NRB definition so far is being opposed by certain quarters who think that it will generate a lot of controversy.

According to the NRB definition very few prominent lawyers, engineers or scientists, having national and international recognition, will qualify for the reserved seats. “Even persons like Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan will not be qualified for a technocrat’s seat,” the official source said.