KARACHI, July 16: Electoral process for first phase of local government election 2005 began on Saturday with the issuance of nomination papers for candidates from 3,074 union councils of 54 districts.

Long queues of intending candidates were seen at the offices of different returning officers.

In the first phase of the three-phase elections, the process of filing nomination papers in 17 districts of Punjab, 11 of Sindh, 12 of the NWFP and 14 of Balochistan will begin on July 18 and end on July 20.

Although there is no ban on the issuance of more than one form to a candidate but to ensure availability of the forms to every aspirant, the returning officers are not issuing more than three forms to an individual.

At the time of filing of the nominations, according to the election rules, every form has to be accompanied by Form-19, containing a declaration of assets of a candidate, which will be made available to voters.

The forms are in six colours. The white form is for general seats of Muslims, pink for Muslim women’s seats, green for peasant /worker general seats, yellow for women peasant/worker seats, brown for minority seats and blue for the seats of nazim and naib nazim.

The fee for a candidate of membership of a union council is Rs1000 and for nazim and naib nazim Rs5000, whose bank draft receipt should be attached with the form when it is submitted.

In the form, minimum qualification for nazim and naib nazim is matric while for the membership there is no requirement of qualification.

Each union council comprises of 13 members, including four general seats of Muslims, two Muslim women members, two male peasants/workers, two women peasants/workers, one minority member, one nazim and one naib nazim.

The Election Commission has fixed 60 symbols for Muslim general seats and 20 for each other category of union council members.

Out of 23 districts of Sindh, elections will be held in 11 districts for 589 union councils (UCs) in the first phase. They are: Karachi City District (178UCs) Thatta (55) Tando Allahyar (19) Ghotki (42) Naushehro Feroze (51) Jacobabad (40) Kashmore (37) Mirpurkhas (41) Omarkot (27) Sanghar (55) and Tharparker (44).

The first phase districts in Punjab include Gunjaranwala and Multan city districts, Sialkot, Sahgodha, Khushab, Lodhran, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Pakpattan, Vehari, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahimyar Khan.

The first phase districts in the NWFP are: Peshawar City District, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank, Haripur and Buner.

In Balochistan the first phase polling will be held in Khuzdar, Mastung, Kharan, Awaran, Pishin, Noshki, Sibbi, Ziarat, Bolan, Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Qila Saifullah, Barkhan and Gwadar districts.

According to the election schedule, provisional lists of the candidates will be notified on July 21, objections will be received on 22 and scrutiny of the papers will be held on 23 and 24.

An appeal against acceptance of a form could be filed on 25 and will be disposed of by 27. A candidate could withdraw his/her nomination by 28.

The final list of candidates will be issued on 29 whereas polling will be held on August 18 and results will be notified on 20.

The electoral process in the second phase in the remaining districts of the country will begin with the issuance of nomination forms from July 23 and culminate with polling on August 25 and result notification on 27.

In the third phase, indirect elections of nazims and naib nazims of districts, tehsils/talukas/towns and union councils will be held.