ISLAMABAD: Days after announcing the first-ever local government elections in the federal capital, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has now approached the Supreme Court, asking it to direct the federal government to expedite the passage of an appropriate bill and frame the rules that will enable the commission to hold the elections on time.

The ECP has also blamed the federal government for unnecessarily delaying the passage of the bill, which it said amounted to defiance of the March 2015 order of the apex court and contended that in case it was not possible to pass the law, the government may be asked to promulgate an ordinance so that the elections could be held with adequate legal cover.

The ECP has also released details of nomination papers filed by candidates for the local government elections in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), which are to be held on a non-party basis.

A total of 4,190 nomination papers have been received for around 550 seats in 79 union councils (UCs) by District Returning Officer (DRO) Aleem Shahab.

Of these 575 nominations have been filed for the post of the chairman and the vice chairman, 2,004 for the general councilor, 568 on women’s seats, 445 for the peasant/workers’ seat, 454 for the youth seat and 144 on the non-Muslim seat.

Commission blames government for delays; says all necessary arrangements are in place

On June 23, ECP had announced a schedule for the local government elections in the federal capital on July 25, even though the law is still pending before a Senate standing committee after being passed by the National Assembly.

On March 4, 2015, Attorney General Salman Aslam Butt had assured the Supreme Court that the ICT LG bill has been approved by the federal cabinet as well as the relevant committee of the National Assembly.

But the ECP, in its petition, expressed the fear that nothing has been heard about the fate of the bill and the federal government has not complied with the earlier directions of the apex court.

The ECP recalled that through a letter dated June 12, 2015, it had asked the secretary interior to provide a notified act and rules for the smooth conduct of LG elections in ICT.

But in response, the Islamabad chief commissioner informed the ECP on June 16 that the bill was still pending with the Senate standing committee but that the ministry of interior was pressing for its early tabling before the Senate.

The ECP told the court that in compliance with its directions of July 25, the commission had taken all necessary steps to set the stage for the local government elections on the basis of the draft law.

In the petition, ECP also informed the court that it had also taken a number of steps to ensure the conduct of the elections, such as the delimitation exercise, had already been completed. DROs, ROs and AROs have also been appointed and appellate authorities are in place to hear petitions or appeals against the ROs’ decisions to accept or reject nomination papers.

Moreover, ECP has also issued instructions with regard to the establishment of polling stations as well as the appointment of polling personnel and ROs are currently preparing the polling scheme.

The schedule for all categories of seats in each union council of ICT has been announced in terms of Rule 11, the draft Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (conduct of elections) Rules 2015.

According to the schedule, the returning officer will issue notice inviting nomination papers today (June 24) and receive them on June 25 and 26. Objections to the nominations can be filed on June 28 and scrutiny of nomination papers and publication of names of the validly nominated candidates will be completed on the following two days.

Appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers will be received on July 1 and 2 and disposed of on July 3 and 4. July 5 has been set as the date for the withdrawal of candidature while the list of candidates with symbols allotted to them will be published on July 6. July 25 will be the polling day while the returning officer will announce the results on July 28.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2015

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