CHITRAL: The local body elections have provided the marginalised segment of society and people in remote areas like Chitral with an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process at local level and therefore, the people should actively take active part in the imminent electoral process.

This was stated by Community Development Programme representatives during a media briefing on their organisation’s efforts to educate people on the importance of the upcoming local body elections and encourage them to participate in them.

The CDP chief executive, coordinator Jamshed Khan and assistant district coordinator Amin Jan said his organisation used all possible ways and means for the people’s awareness of participation in electoral process.

They said the efforts started right from the announcement of the schedule and ranged from educating the people about the structure of local bodies, helping prospective candidates to fill nomination forms, encouraging women candidates and imparting training to voters on how to use ballot papers of different colours.

The CDP representatives said there were many complications and difficulties both for voters due to the putting in place a new system of local government and rampant illiteracy in the area coupled with no scheme of voter’s education.

They said the turnout of voter was 60 percent in the last general elections which can be raised by increasing the number of polling stations from 265 which were quite insufficient while polling booth also needed optimal increase in the existing ones said.

The CDP representatives said information desks about the election process had been established in different places of the district in which the people were being trained on voting process and informative brochures were distributed and the process will last till the polling day.

They said the strengthening of democracy depends upon the solidifying the local bodies institutions for which participation of the masses was inevitable.

The CDP representatives expressed pleasure at the freedom of voting available to women in Chitral district which was being denied in its neighboring districts of Dir and said women had played pivotal role in the local bodies in the past as well.

Meanwhile, the annual elections of the Paramedical Association Chitral were held here on Saturday.

In the elections, Sardar Wali Khan defeated Khursheed Ahmad by 14 votes to become the president of the body.

Held under the supervision of provincial president of the association, Sirajuddin Barki, more than 200 paramedics cast vote during the elections.

The other office-bearers elected included Waqar Ahmad senior vice president, Fazle Alam and Naseem Akhtar vice presidents, Fazal Mohammad general secretary, Irshad Ahmad joint secretary, Nadeem Ahmad press secretary and Akbar Shah finance secretary.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play