08 March 2005	Tuesday	26 Muharram 1426

LAHORE, March 7: Contrary to the statements being given by the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) and other government officials, local body polls are unlikely to be held in time.

Last local elections were held in phases - between December 2000 and Aug 14, 2001 - when nazims and councillors were elected at three tiers of district, tehsil and union councils.

Four-year tenure of these councils completes on Aug 13 and new nazims and councillors must be elected before Aug 14, 2005, under the Local Government Ordinance of 2000. (Actual term of the councils in the ordinance was three-year but it was later extended by one year after amending the law.)

The federal government has not yet asked the Election Commission to make arrangements for holding the polls. The poll process, from the issue of notice inviting nomination papers to declaration of results, requires at least 45 days and that too if, unlike in the past, they are held simultaneously in all districts of the four provinces.

The Election Commission rather on Monday (March 7) issued a notification for holding by-polls to various vacant seats of district, tehsil and union nazims and naib nazims in the country.

As the by election process will complete on April 18, the authorities will be left with little time to hold the new elections in a phased programme or they will have to postpone the entire process.

Political observers here say that the government is delaying the local body polls on demand of the PPP as part of the "reconciliation agreement" being finalized with it to win its support for the present political set-up.

The PPP fears that if the polls are held by the PML-led coalition, most of the winners will turn out to be Muslim Leaguers and they may create problems for the PPP when it comes to power under the agreement next year, they add. Meanwhile, the by-polls schedule issued by the Election Commission says that nominations for Lahore and Sheikhupura district naib nazim will be received on March 11-15.

Scrutiny of the candidatures will be held on March 17, appeals against rejection of papers will be received on March 19 and the same will be disposed of by March 22. Papers may be withdrawn on March 24 as symbols will be allotted and final list of candidates will be put on display on March 25.

Polling will be held on April 7 while returning officers will declare results on April 9. Run-off elections, if needed, will be held on April 16 and their results will be announced on April 18.

The EC has also announced schedule for by-polls to 14 seats of nazims and naib nazims of union councils of Sialkot, Bahawalpur, Jhelum, Pakpattan, Sahiwal, Sheikhupura, Khanewal, Gujrat, Rahim Yar Khan, Narowal, Gujranwala, Hafizabad and Lahore districts in Punjab.

Nominations (for seats) may be filed on March 11-15, scrutiny of papers will be held on March 19, appeals against rejection of papers will be received on March 22 and the same will be disposed of on March 25.

The papers may be withdrawn on March 26, symbols will be allotted and final list of candidates will be put on display on March 28. Polling will be held on April 7 and the results will be declared on April 9.