ISLAMABAD, July 11: Acting Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has said that he will call troops to maintain law and order during the local government elections if any province asks for it. “The provincial government will have to inform the Election Commission in clear terms if it requires troops deployment in any troubled area for peace-keeping during the local government polls,” Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar told Dawn here Monday.
Commenting on the law and order situation, especially of Karachi, the acting-CEC said the provincial administration would have to inform the commission about its concerns on law and order in any area during elections and have to suggest possibilities to maintain peace, for which calling troops could be an option. However, he made it clear that it was the prime responsibility of the provincial governments to maintain peace during the polls.
The commission had sought detailed reports on law and order situation from all the four chief secretaries and on their ability for conducting peaceful and transparent elections in their respective provinces, he said.
Justice Dogar, however, brushed aside the possibility of postponing local government elections, adding that even President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had repeatedly said that the polls would be held on schedule. Postponement would send a very bad signal in the world about government’s ability in strengthening democratic institutions in the country, he said.
Referring to high floods in different parts of the country, Justice Dogar said it would be premature to put on hold the elections since the flood water might have receded by the date of the polls.
Justice Dogar is embarking on a whirlwind countrywide tour from next week to gain first-hand knowledge about security and flood situation in different districts. The tour will begin from Karachi.
When his attention was drawn towards the Jamaat-i-Islami and Muttahida Qaumi Movement holding each other responsible for Karachi security, Justice Dogar said the new code of conduct would bar candidates from pointing fingers at their opponents in their election campaigns.
MEETING: The Election Commission is meeting on Tuesday to approve the final draft of the code of conduct for the candidates of local government elections 2005, after which it would be made public.
The code of conduct would restrict public officers, like cabinet ministers and members of the national as well as the provincial assemblies, from taking advantage of their official position during their election campaign, he said.
The new guidelines for the candidates would be implemented strictly at all cost, he said and rejected allegations that many transfers and postings had been made after the announcement of the election schedule.
Provincial administrators were happy over ban on transfers/postings as they were out of any political pressure, he said.
