ISLAMABAD, Dec 1: The Election Commission is likely to hold a draw at the end of December to decide which of the members among half of the 100-seat Senate will retire after completing their three-year term on March 11, 2006, an informed source told Dawn.

Meanwhile, Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad in an announcement said: “Drawing of lots, as required under the law, will be held by the acting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar at an appropriate time.”

He said modalities and procedure for drawing of lots has already been set in a notification issued by the federal government in 1988 and amended in 2003.

According to the procedure, the proceedings will be held in the presence of senators or their authorized representatives and the media.

Identical slips containing names of the senators printed in English and identical slips containing the words “first group three years’ term” and words “second group six years’ term” will be used.

Lots will be drawn in alphabetical order of Urdu in the provinces/areas in the following order: Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, NWFP, Fata and the federal capital.

Lots will first be cast for general seats followed by seats reserved for women and technocrats, including ulema.

Two transparent jars or baskets will be used — one for carrying slips with senators’ names and the other containing slips of term of office, i.e., three or six years.

During the proceedings, the acting CEC will ask someone from the audience to put slips in the relevant basket or jar after reading them out aloud.

Another person from amongst the audience will be asked by the CEC to pick up one slip from each of the two baskets turn by turn to make a pair which shall be read out by that person and duly recorded by an officer of the Election Commission, signed and announced by the CEC.

The same procedure will be repeated for seats reserved for women and technocrats, including ulema.

In case of the federal capital, lots will be drawn only for general seats as the term of office of a technocrat, including “alim” and women for the federal capital, have already been determined in the constitution.

The technocrat, including alim, will retire after the first three years and the woman senator will retire after six years.