ISLAMABAD, Aug 23: The President on Thursday removed the condition of filing declaration about the party affiliation along with nomination papers and restored the previous position under which candidates would submit such declarations at the time of allotment of symbols to them.

Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan had recommended to the government to amend the Representation of Peoples Act to restore the facility of covering candidates and allow the candidates to submit party certificate till the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures.

The EC had received complaints from the political parties that the amended Representation of People Act had made it difficult for the candidates to file their nomination papers.

The president on Thursday promulgated Representation of the People (Third Amendment) Ordinance, deleting the pre-condition for filing declaration by the candidates about their affiliation along with nomination papers.

The amendment law provided that each contesting candidate, before seeking allotment of prescribed symbol, shall file a declaration before the returning officer about his party affiliation, if any.

The contesting candidate will now file party affiliation declaration before returning officer before the allotment of symbol.

It was complained by the political parties that the amended law had made it mandatory that the candidate should file a declaration about his party affiliation at the time of filing of nomination papers along with a certificate from the political party showing that he was a party candidate from the constituency.

The political parties had demanded that the previous procedure which was adopted after a long experience of several elections be restored under which parties should be allowed to submit certificate of nomination in respect of candidate till publication of the final list of candidates who are to contest elections from that constituency.

The law also accepted the recommendation of EC that seizures of election office should be made an offence punishable for a term not less than three years and extendable to five years.

It said seizing of a polling station or a place fixed for the polls or making polling authorities surrender the ballot papers or ballot box or both and doing of any other act which affects the orderly conduct of elections constitute this offence.

Taking possession of polling station or a place fixed for poll by a candidate and allowing supporters to exercise their right to vote and preventing others from free exercise of this right would be considered acts punishable under this clause.

The provision would also apply to those who would coerce, or threaten directly or indirectly any elector and prevent him from going to the polling station or a place fixed for the poll to cast his vote.