ISLAMABAD: The local government elections in cantonment boards across the country would be held on a party basis and the poll schedule already announced for April 25 would remain unchanged, a senior official of the Election Commission told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said that candidates would now be required to submit party tickets for the allocation of election symbols. He said the decision had been taken in view of a Lahore High Court judgment which declared non-party elections in cantonment areas a violation of the Constitution. A copy of the verdict has been received by the ECP.

Editorial: Party-based LG polls

The official said returning officers would be asked to obtain party tickets from candidates before the allocation of election symbols on April 11. Those not producing party tickets would have to contest as independent candidates. He said the commission was mentally prepared for this situation since a similar petition was pending before the Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, a source has confirmed that Babar Yaqub Fateh Mohammad, currently serving as cabinet secretary, has been appointed secretary of the ECP.

The post has been lying vacant since Nov 4 last year when Ishtiak Ahmad Khan completed his extended term. The new arrangement, however, will be for a short period because Mr Babar Yaqub will retire on Oct 31. But he could get a post-retirement extension, the source said.

The new secretary will be facing a number of challenges, including meaningful electoral reforms to make the polls free, fair and transparent and their management.

Sources in the ECP said it was not possible to print a large number of ballot papers for local government elections in Punjab and Sindh in a short period of less than a month.

But the foremost challenge will be providing material required by the judicial commission being formed to investigate allegations of rigging in the last general elections and answering questions about the magnetised ink used in the 2013 polls and allegations of getting ballot papers printed from Urdu Bazaar.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2015

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