MINGORA: A civil society organisation on Thursday claimed that high turnout of women voters was expected in the May 30 local body elections in Swat district.

Only 7.5 percent of the total women voters in the district stepped out to exercise their right to vote during the 2013 general elections.

During a special session organised here to increase public awareness of participation in elections, ICIA programme manager Fayazullah Khan said with the support of USAID, his organisation had been carrying out a public awareness project, Citizen’s Voice, in various parts of Swat to motivate communities in Swat to ensure active participation of their members, especially women, youths and non-Muslims, in the upcoming local government polls.

He said his organisation trained local volunteers for the successful execution of the project and that they were busy doing the job.

Fayazullah Khan said in many areas of the NA-29 constituency, either women were barred from casting vote during the last general elections or their turnout was very low.

He said Eingrodherai, Odigram, Balogram, Joladher and Marghuzar were the areas, where either women were disenfranchised or only few women went to polling stations to cast vote.

The programme manager said his organisation’s representatives held special sessions with local elders, political leaders and social activists to know reasons for the women’s disfranchisement.

He said conservative customs, absence of separate polling stations and unavailability of transport vehicles stopped women from stepping out to cast vote in elections.

Imam Hassan, another project staff member, said special training workshops were organised to educate candidates on the new local government system and polling procedure and that thereafter, candidates guided people on the matter in their respective constituencies.

Election candidates appreciated the holding of training programmes.

SECURITY PLAN FINALISED: The district administration has finalised a security plan for the smooth holding of local government elections in Swat.

Under the plan, 7,000 security personnel will be deployed at polling stations.

According to a news release issued by the office of the district administration here, there will be public holiday in the district on Friday to ensure the supply of electoral items, including six million ballot papers, 5,000 ballot boxes as well as necessary stationary, to polling stations in the district.

Meanwhile, candidates have stepped up their election campaigns.

PTI has fielded 62 candidates for district council seats and 59 for those of tehsil council, while there are 52 candidates of PML-N for district council seats and 44 for those of tehsil council.

ANP has awarded election tickets to 35 candidates for district council seats and 36 for tehsil council seats.

Published in Dawn, May 29th, 2015

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