UN, six states want foreign observers: Local body elections
By Syed Irfan Raza
ISLAMABAD, July 14: The United Nations and six countries, including the US and the UK, have expressed the desire that international observers should monitor the forthcoming local bodies’ elections. In a meeting with chairman of the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) Daniyal Aziz on Thursday, ambassadors and officials of Norway, Canada Switzerland, USA, Japan, UK, UN and donor agencies showed keen interest in the election process and suggested presence of independent observers to cover and monitor the polls.
The representatives asked several questions about incorporation of the local government system in the constitution, changes in the mechanism for removal of nazims, holding of elections, the district service, federal to provincial devolution, accountability of local governments, capacity-building programmes for elected representatives and provision of funds to the local governments.
Speaking on the occasion, Daniyal Aziz said nazims and naib nazims would enjoy more powers in their second tenure.
He said the issue of postings and transfers would be addressed in the second term and nazims and naib nazims would have full powers in this respect. “2006 will be the year of implementation of LG system,” he added.
The issue of posting and transfer of officials was the main cause of friction between the local government and provinces in the first term.
The NRB chief said efficiency and disciplinary rules would also be amended to empower local government heads to take disciplinary action against employees.
“The provincial government departments will also be restructured by Dec 31, 2005, as required under the law for compatibility with decentralised offices of local governments to enable the provincial offices to perform policy analysis, oversight, checks and balance, capacity-building and coordination function through the provincial local government commission,” he said.
Institutions like the Provincial Local Government Commission and the Provincial Finance Commission, he said, would be made more effective as their powers and functions had been enhanced through amendments to the LG law.
He said the Provincial Local Government Commission would provide a forum for involving parliamentarians in district-level development programmes.
He indicated that Pakistan required $500 million for capacity-building of local governments. “The donors should support the citizen’s empowerment process initiated through the Devolution Trust for Community Empowerment,” he added.
Mr Aziz pointed out that the federal government would provide Rs4 billion for implementation of the police order.
Talking about accountability of nazims, he said the auditor-general was competent to audit accounts of all local governments. “The accountability process will be strengthened further as soon as the institution of Zila Mohtasib is set up in each district,” he maintained.
The NRB chief asked donors to support the reform process in accordance with the philosophy of devolution and help in achieving the objectives of decentralisation and good governance.
Emphasizing the need for avoiding creation of parallel structures at the district level and vertical programmes, he said, local governments were capable of undertaking development projects and all development projects relating to decentralised functions should be undertaken by them.
