September 4, 2002	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Saani25,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan has directed the Returning Officers (ROs) to select sites for the polling stations keeping in view the convenience of voters.

The ROs have been told to prepare the lists of polling stations by Sept 10, and submit it to the concerned district returning officers.

The district returning officers will ensure the publication of the lists in the gazette at least 15 days before the polling day as contemplated by Section 8 (2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1976.

Justice Khan further directed the ROs that complaints about the setting up of polling stations from political parties or candidates should be disposed of justly and fairly.

The CEC said that the site of a polling station should be easily accessible to voters. Normally, a polling station should cater for up to 1,000 voters. The maximum number of voters assigned to a polling station should not exceed 1,200. However, an exception may be made in case of large villages having up to 2,000 voters where only one polling station with three or four booths may be established.

The CEC said that in the scarcely populated areas where the number of voters in an electoral area is 200/300 and the distance between that area and the nearest suggested polling station is enormous, a polling station should be established for those 200/300 voters in their own village.

The CEC further directed them that the number of polling booths at a polling station shall be normally one, two or three, depending on the number of voters assigned to the polling station.

The polling station shall be set up in a government-owned building such as schools, colleges, offices, etc. The buildings of autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies and corporations may also be utilized for the purpose.

Where no such building is available, improvised polling stations shall be set up on a public property provided that no polling station shall be located on the premises belonging to, or are under the direct or indirect control of any candidate.

In urban areas, separate polling stations for women voters should be set up only if the polling station for male voters can also be accommodated in one and the same building. Otherwise, combined polling stations may be set up with exclusive polling booths for women voters manned by the women polling staff.

In case the polling station building has more than one storey, the polling station should be located on the ground floor. In the case of selection of building for a polling station, tribal affiliations and tribal feuds should be kept in view so that voters of a tribe do not have to go to the territory of a tribe hostile to them.