ISLAMABAD, July 22: The Election Commission said on Friday candidates contesting the forthcoming local body elections were not required to submit a certificate with the nomination form, stating that they did not belong to any political party. Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad said the candidates, however, would have to decleare that they had not used the platform, flag, symbol, affiliation and financial resources or support of a political, religious, ethnic or sectarian party or organization for his election.

However, contrary to repeated warnings given to candidates by the commission to strictly adhere to the Code of Conduct for the polls, the Friday session of the Senate was reportedly postponed indefinitely as a number of senators were busy in election-related activities.

The secretary also said that Muslim candidates while filing nomination papers had to sign an oath, prescribed under the Local Government Elections Rules that they believed that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was the last and final prophet and no prophet was to come after him.

He said that the candidates also had to sign a declaration provided at the end of nomination form, declaring that they had read and understood the qualifications for the elections under section 152 of the Local Government Ordinance 2001.

The secretary rejected the impression that the names of the returning officers in Karachi had been finalized by the district coordination officer and the Election Commission simply notified the ‘nominations’.

“Neither the provincial government has any role in the appointment of returning officers nor the Election Commission acts as mere notification issuing authority,” the secretary said.

Explaining, he said the commission always asked the concerned provincial election commissioner (PEC) to submit proposals for appointment of returning officers. “The PEC then formulates these proposals after obtaining concurrence of the chief justice of the respective high court and in consultation with district returning officers/district and sessions judge concerned.”

These proposals were then notified by the election commission secretariat after obtaining approval of the chief election commissioner, he said.