Saturday, May 18, 2013

ECP asks candidates to submit return of election expenses

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday asked the winning candidates of national and provincial assemblies to submit their returns of election expenses to returning officers by May 20.

“Section 42(3A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1976, read with Section 50 and Rule 30 of the Representation of the People (Conduct of Election) Rule, 1977, requires every candidate returned to the National Assembly and provincial assemblies to submit to the returning officer concerned, a return of election expenses within 10 days from the poll of an election”, said the ECP in a statement here.

The election expenses of a contesting candidate for election to a seat in the National Assembly shall not exceed Rs 1.5 million and to a seat in the provincial assembly shall not exceed Rs 1 million.

“All vouchers should accompany the account of election expenses, duly arranged according to the date of payment and serially numbered and such serial numbers should be entered in the appropriate column of the relevant account.

The candidates who would be elected against reserved seats for women and minorities should also file their returns of election expenses to the concerned returning officers.

Any successful candidate including the candidates for seats reserved for women and non-Muslims shall not be notified in the official gazette, unless the candidate deposits the returns of election expenses as required under the law.

The ECP also asked all the independent candidates to submit an affidavit stating that each one of them is joining a particular political party voluntarily and without any coercion.

The affidavit should be duly sworn before the Oath Commissioner and shall be deposited with the Provincial Election Commissioner concerned.

Meanwhile, Punjab Election Commission also directed candidates of reserved seat for women and minorities in the National and Punjab assembly to submit their returns.

In an order issued on Friday, ECP’s Punjab office has given a deadline of May 20 for all candidates belonged to Punjab for submitting expense details of their election campaigns.

ECP further clarified that those candidates would not be named in the official gazette who would not submit their return until due date.

Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk

Back to Top