ISLAMABAD, Aug 15: A record number of 218,000 candidates, of whom over 55,000 are women, are participating in the local government elections 2005 to elect 6,040 Union Councils in the country.

“This is the maximum number of people participating in any election, which is unprecedented,” Acting Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar told Dawn here on Monday.

Referring to the polls in Karachi, still considered to be highly sensitive, the CEC expressed confidence that elections in the city would be peaceful as elaborate stringent security plans have been chalked out to ensure holding of peaceful elections besides he would also spend considerable time in Karachi to himself watch voting process at different polling stations.

Meanwhile 4,136 candidates have been elected unopposed in 54 districts prior to holding of polls in the first phase to elect 3,074 union councils. Of 4,136 elected candidates 273 are Nazims and Naib Nazims, 1,054 candidates are from minority group, 1,466 peasant and worker (women), 265 peasant and worker (men), Muslim women 725 and Muslim general 353.

In all 114,496 candidates are in the run for the first phase in 54 districts of which 8,827 candidates have filed their nomination for union council nazims and naib nazims, minorities 3,063, peasant and workers (women) 9,829, peasant and worker (men) 26,072, Muslim women 14,242 and Muslim general 52,463.

All arrangements have been made and the entire election machinery have been geared up to hold the local government elections in two phases on Aug 18 and 25 in a free, fair and transparent manner, CEC said adding 62.6 million registered voters will elect their representatives in the local government elections.

As many as 32,000 polling stations have been set up with 128,000 polling booths in 54 districts while 750,000 polling staff have been deputed for the conduct of the elections.