KARACHI, July 23: Two powerful groups have emerged as the main contestants in the forthcoming elections of the Fishermen Cooperative Society being held on August 4 through secret ballot.

All current directors including the present FCS chairman are in the field to retain their traditional seats in a 15-member board of directors of the society, which is the highest policy and decision making body.

Many of these directors have been holding on to their seats for the past several years in successive elections held in a traditional method - by show of hands - at a general body meeting of the society's shareholders.

However, during its last sessions, the board of directors unanimously agreed to a proposal for holding the elections of six directors representing the fisher folk communities through a secret ballot.

The credit for holding the elections through a secret ballot process, undoubtedly, goes to the sitting chairman, who had been slated by his opponents for paving the way for entry of big businessmen into the society's board.

Though there has been no provision in the by-laws of the FCS for panel based polls, but the split among the senior directors camp led to the emergence of two powerful groups. One group is led by the sitting FCS chairman, Abuzur Mariwara, while former vice-chairman of the society Haji Shafi Muhammad Jamote is heading the rival group.

Previously, out of the seven elected directors, Abuzur Mariwara had enjoyed the support of four elected directors, and the opposition camp led by Haji Shafi Muhammad Jamote had the support of lone senior director Haji Muhammad Yunis.

The Mariwara group however, after announcement of the election schedule, received a setback when it lost the support of two important Baloch directors, from Mubarak village and Lal Bakar, who joined the Jamote group.

The electioneering is gaining momentum after the allotment of election symbols. Candidates have started visiting fishermen villages and areas, and are holding meetings with voters to seek their support.

The issue of employment and welfare activity will dominate the election scene, according to observers. Though the present FCS administration has launched several projects for the welfare of fishermen communities, particularly in health and education sectors, some of its policies have come under fire.

The settlement of disputes with the Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KFHA) and holding of direct elections to enable the fishermen to elect their representatives freely are two important developments in the history of FCS, credit for which goes to the present administration.

It is also credited for providing jobs to several people. Despite the fact, some senior directors criticised the employment policy, claiming that it had weakened the financial position of the society.

Senior directors have been levelling charges of lavish expenditures against certain FCS officials, saying that due to the ill-advised policies of the present leadership, the society was facing serious financial problems.