October 10, 2002	Thursday	Sha’aban 3, 1423

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QUETTA, Oct 9: Balochistan is all set for Thursday’s general elections to send 14 representatives to the national and 51 to the provincial assemblies. The total number of registered voters is 3,920,182 — male 2,119,916 and female 1,800,266 — who are eligible to exercise their right to vote.

The administration has taken strict security measures to maintain peace by deploying law-enforcement agencies. According to official sources, 28,595 security personnel, including police, levies and FC men, have been deployed in all the 22 districts of the province to perform security duty while army has been kept on vigil.

Of the total 3,440 polling stations, 1,353 have been declared sensitive and 959 highly sensitive.

The numbers of polling booths are 8,006.

The campaigning was held in a peaceful atmosphere but lacked traditional fervour despite the fact that all the national-level parties as well as provincial-based ones are in the run.

The major contesting parties are: the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Pakistan People’s Party, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Pakistan Muslim League (N), Millat Party, Tehrik-I-Insaf, National Alliance and Jamhoori Watan Party, besides various nationalist factions.

Prominent among the nationalist factions are: the Pakhtoonkhawa Milli Awami Party, Balochistan National Movement, Balochistan National Party (Mengal), Balochistan National Party (Awami) and Balochistan National Congress.

A province divided politically as always, the elections seem to throw up a split mandate once again, according to political observers here. They say elections have always produced a split mandate since 1970 elections because of peculiar socio-economic conditions of the province. As a result, a number of coalitions have been formed in the past as none of the party ever got a majority.

According to them, this time, too, the situation will be no different as the split within the ranks of nationalists has marred their electoral chances. There are clear indications that the provincial assembly will again be a divided house with no single party in majority.

Some observers are of the view that due to the split in nationalist camp, the PML (Q) would secure maximum national and provincial assembly seats and is likely to emerge as a single majority party.

However, the PML (Q) will face a tough time for managing a workable coalition because it has either to seek the support of splinter nationalist groups such as BNM (Hayee), BNP (Awami), an ally of National Alliance, or the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal.