Poll schedule announced: ‘Local councils stand dissolved’
By Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, June 30: The local government elections will be held in three phases — on August 18, 25 and September 29 — to elect 6,040 union councils in the country with capital Islamabad staying out of their purview.
“Political parties are barred from fielding candidates, allotting tickets or funding campaigns (in the non-party elections),” said Acting Chief Election Commissioner, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, while announcing the long-awaited LB polls schedule here on Thursday.
With the announcement, all local government institutions stand dissolved, to be replaced within 24 hours by caretakers.
Provincial chief secretaries can appoint any government officer as a caretaker, according to the acting CEC.
There is no possibility of local government elections being held in the federal capital, he said.
Justice Dogar said the Local Government Ordinance allows cabinet ministers and members of the national and provincial assemblies to contest the local government elections but they will have to resign their present seats if they got elected.
In the first phase, he explained, elections in 54 districts of the four provinces will be held, the process of which will commence with the issuance of notices inviting nomination papers on July 16, which could be filed from July 18 to 20 while polling will be held on August 18.
In the second phase, election in the remaining union councils in 56 districts will be held. Nomination papers will be invited from July 23 and could be filed from July 25 to 27. The polling will take place on August 25.
In the third phase, indirect elections to the seats of zila/city/tehsil/taluka and town nazims and seats reserved for women, peasants/workers and minority communities will be held in their councils across the country.
The process will commence with the issuance of notices inviting nomination papers on September 3, which could be filed from Sept 5 to 7 with polling fixed for Sept 29.
Either old identity cards or new computerized national identity cards will have to be shown for casting votes but they should be original, Justice Dogar said.
He warned that strict action will be taken against candidates breaching election laws or code of conduct. He also warned against postings, transfers and development works in any constituency.
Justice Dogar directed the provincial governments to ensure proper maintenance of law and order before and after the elections, especially on the polling day. He said he intended to visit the four provinces to review steps taken by the provincial governments.
“I firmly believe in providing a level playing field to all players and, therefore, every conceivable step will be taken to ensure free, fair and transparent elections,” the acting CEC said.
According to updated electoral rolls, 62.6 million registered voters will elect their representatives in the local government elections. Lists of polling stations have also been finalized.
He said 62,447 polling stations will be set up with 208,217 polling booths in 110 districts of the country.
Appointments of 114 district returning officers, 1,153 returning officers and 1,385 assistant returning officers are being made for the conduct of elections.
ISLAMABAD, June 30: The local government elections will be held in three phases — on August 18, 25 and September 29 — to elect 6,040 union councils in the country with capital Islamabad staying out of their purview.
