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| August 18, 2005 | Thursday | Rajab 12, 1426 |
Observers arrive to monitor polls
PESHAWAR, Aug 17: As many as 4,600,478 voters in 12 districts of the Frontier province will exercise their right of franchise in the first phase of the local government elections on Thursday amid tight security arrangements.
Around 9,000 army troops will provide back-up support to the law enforcement agencies to ensure smooth polling in the districts.
A senior official said that in each district a battalion comprising 700 soldiers will remain on stand-by to maintain peace during the polling.
Corps of foreign observers from different countries, including the Common Wealth, has arrived in the provincial capital on Wednesday and will proceed to various districts to monitor the polling process.
Reports about the ban on women to participate in the polling in various districts of the province have attracted a large number of foreign observers. Besides, various NGOs and groups have sent their representatives to keep an eye on the situation.
The provincial Home Department has drawn up a security plan and deployed a police force, 80 platoons of Frontier Constabulary and an additional force of Frontier Corps in and outside the polling stations in the 12 districts.
In the first phase, the election is being held in Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Haripur and Buner.
The Election Commission has set up a total number of 15,242 polling stations, including 8,425 for male and 6,817 for female voters in the 12 districts of the province.
Officials said that all arrangements have been finalized and election paraphernalia had been sent to the districts concerned.
A total of 4,664 presiding officers, 45,726 assistant presiding officers and 15,242 polling officers will conduct the polling which will start at 8am.
According to the Election Commission, the number of total contestants for the slots of nazims/naib nazims, Muslim (general), Muslim (women), peasants/ workers, peasants/ workers (women) and minority communities is 19,538.
The Election Commission has declared that a total number of 831 candidates had returned unopposed to different union councils in the 12 districts.
The Election Commission has established 812 polling stations in Peshawar city district where as many as 3,402 candidates are contesting the election for 92 union councils. About 486,653 male and 338,971 female Muslim voters and 9,809 minority voters, representing different communities, will cast their votes. In Nowshera, 1,720 candidates are vying for 48 union councils, in Charsadda 1,588 candidates for 49 union councils, in Mardan 2,288 candidates for 75 union councils, in Swabi 1,493 candidates for 55 union councils, in Kohat 912 candidates for 32 union councils, in Karak 1,156 candidates for 21 union councils, in Bannu 1,388 candidates for 49 union councils, in Dera Ismail Khan 2,505 candidates for 47 union councils, in Tank 863 candidates for 16 union councils, in Haripur 1,406 candidates for 45 union councils and in Buner district 815 candidates are in the race for 27 union councils.
Our Haripur Correspondent adds: As many as 36 polling stations of Haripur district have been declared sensitive while military personnel are being deployed in 20 polling stations of two union councils of Khalabat Township, police sources told Dawn here on Wednesday.
Sources said that owing to some internal dispute between rival candidates in two union councils of Tarbela and Khalabat the administration has decided to deploy armed forces on 11 polling stations of Khalabat and nine on Tarbela union councils.
Sources said that the security would totally be in control of the military while the police and FC would also be there for assistance of the military.
In Union Council Khalabat Mehr Nishad Khan, the brother of provincial Transport Minister Akhtar Nawaz Khan was contesting against Sikandar Hayat Khan for the union council nazim slot and due to certain family disputes between the rival candidates who happened to be relatives tension was prevailing in the area.
In Union Council Tarbela, MMA’s district office bearer Alam Zeb Shah supported candidate Ahmad Saeed Khan who was pitted against former Tehsil Nazim Iftekhar Khan who supported candidate Sardar Saleem Khan for the union council nazim’s seat.
Among other sensitive polling stations are six in Sera-i-Saleh union council, three in Shah Maqsood union council, three in Tofkian, three in Hattar and one in Pandak union council where the military wM ould be called if needed, sources said.
Muqaddam Khan adds from Swabi: Out of 55 union councils, 30 have been declared sensitive in the district.
Sources told Dawn that all the four union councils —Swabi Khas, Swabi Maneri, Maneri Bala and Maneri Payan — of the district headquarter have been declared sensitive. A tough contest is taking place among the heavyweights of different political parties in these union councils.
The other sensitive union councils include Sheikh Jana, Maini, Topi east, Gandaf, Marghuz, Zarobi, Zaida, Kernel Sher Kili, Gar Munara, Shewa, Kotha, Bamkhel, Kalu Khan, Adina, Ismaila, Tarraki, Kunda, Chota Lahore East, Yar Hussain East and West, Tordher, Turlandi, Panjpir, Dagi, Mabnki and Dobian.
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