19 January 2005	Wednesday	08 Zilhaj 1425

PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The Citizen Action Committees of non- governmental organisations working for the political empowerment of women have opposed the government's decision to reduce union council seats in the upcoming Local government election 2005.

The committees held protest meetings in various districts against the decision of the government to reduce seats of union council from 21 to 13 members. Speaking at a press conference here at Peshawar Press Club, Rakhshinda Naz, the resident director of Aurat Foundation, said that the reduction in seats would also effect the number of general and reserved seats.

"The seats reserved for women will be reduced from six to three reserved seats which is going to deprive women from representation at their union councils," said Rakhshinda Naz.

She said that the stated reason behind this decision was that the government would be able to pay honorarium to the councillors. The excuse for reducing the seats was unreasonable as honorariums had been paid to the councillors in many districts and even in Balochistan. The payment of honorariums was not the priority of the government in the first place.

If there were more members in a union council, they would be able to represent and involve more people in the democratic process, she said. Due to the reduction in the reserved seats, every candidate would have to reach a large number of voters in the union council and women due to social norms and economic dependency would not be able to run election campaigns on a large scale.

The reduction in seats would have a bad impact on the women candidates in the elections, Rakhshinda Naz said. Union councillors elect the Tehsil/District Nazim so the decrease in the union council seats would also decrease the circle of electors of Nazims and the they would be able to influence their electors, she said.

The decrease in the reserved seats would have negative impact on the participation of women in politics. About 36,000 women union councillors were elected in the elections of 2000-2001 but in the upcoming election women would be discouraged as the number of seats reserved for them is very low, she said.

Miss Naz said that in the presence of elected assembly members the decision to reduce seats at union council level was taken in a high level meeting. Neither the respective constituencies were consulted nor the elected assemblies discussed the issue when the decision was taken.

"It is an undemocratic move of the government and we oppose it," said resident director of Aurat Foundation on behalf of citizen action committees working in various districts.

All the non-governmental organisations working for the legal and political rights of the women opposed the government decision as it would take the power from the grassroots level and concentrate political powers in few members with vested interests and representing a certain class, Miss Naz said.