PESHAWAR, March 27: The stage is set for by-elections on different seats in 107 union councils in the NWFP on Sunday. The Provincial Election Commission has finalized arrangements for the polling which will start at 8am and will continue till 5pm. Out of 957 union councils in the NWFP, these by-elections will be held in 107 as in the rest of the councils either vacant seats are not present or nobody is contesting against the vacant seats in other union councils.

The commission has granted powers of first class magistrate to all presiding officers for ensuring free and fair elections.

According to the provincial election commissioner, polling would be held for 178 vacant seats in different categories. A total of 77 candidates will contest for 23 vacant seats of Nazims in 23 union councils across the province whereas 43 candidates are in the run for the 15 slots of Naib Nazim.

Similarly, against 44 general vacant seats 155 candidates are contesting. Against 44 women's reserved seats 82 candidates are in the run.

About 60 candidates are contesting against 26 seats reserved for women peasants and workers. Seventy-five candidates are trying their luck for 25 seats of peasants and workers. Moreover, seven candidates are in the fray against three seats reserved for minorities.

A total of 726 candidates in different categories, especially women's reserved seats, have already been declared elected unopposed.

It is learnt that about 1871 seats will remain vacant despite the by-elections as nobody has filed nomination papers for these seats. These vacant seats include: 718 women's reserved seats; 451 seats reserved for women peasants and workers; 668 seats reserved for minorities; 19 general seats; 14 seats reserved for peasants and workers; and, one seat of nazim.

All the women's reserved seats in Kohistan district will remain vacant. Against 220 women's reserved seats including 152 general women's reserved seats and 76 seats reserved for women peasants and workers, not a single nomination paper was filed.

Similarly, 111 women's seats will remain vacant in remote Batagram district, 112 in Upper Dir, 196 in Lower Dir and 66 in Peshawar.

The election commission has set up 896 polling stations including 249 for men, 234 for women.

The remaining 413 polling stations will be joint. About 896 presiding officers, 2,352 assistant presiding officers and 2,204 polling officers have been assigned duties for the by-elections.