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Friday, November 08, 2013
Govt, opp join hands for delay in LG pollsBy Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: In a rare show of camaraderie, treasury and opposition sides in the Lower House of parliament on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to delay the local bodies’ elections in Sindh and Punjab to ensure transparency and fairness.
The unanimous passage of the resolution came as a setback to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s schedule to hold the LB elections in Sindh on November 27 and in Punjab on December 7. The resolution, which was moved by deputy parliamentary leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, was supported by opposition leader in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, MQM’s parliamentary leader Farooq Sattar, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party’s chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Ejazul Haq, PML-N’s Barjis Tahir and PML-Q’s Tariq Bashir Cheema.
It stated that conducting the local bodies elections in haste would cast doubts on the transparency of the election results. It pointed out that Printing Corporation of Pakistan has shown its inability to print the ballots within the election schedule given by the ECP. “The printing of ballot papers by any private printing press may not be acceptable as it would make the transparency of election process questionable,” the resolution suggested. It called upon the ECP to ensure proper procedures to ensure free and transparent local government elections.
Leader of the opposition Khurshid Shah said on a point of order that the opposition would not accept printing of ballot papers for the local bodies elections by a private press. He said this would put a question mark on the credibility of the election commission. He said holding of local bodies’ elections is a political issue and it should be handled politically. Shah opined that conducting the local body elections was the responsibility of the government and not the Supreme Court.
Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique called upon the Supreme Court to heed to the voices in the House, and noted that if sufficient time is granted the whole issue of local bodies election would be settled. On elections in cantonments, Rafique said that it is better to cancel them if they are held under the command of station commanders. Shah Mehmood Qureshi vowed not to allow rigging in the local bodies’ elections, and said rhetorically that we should say “goodbye” to transparency in elections if the ballot papers are printed by private companies.
Meanwhile, PPP’s Makhdoom Amin Fahim suggested that legislation should be done to end intervention by some institutions in the powers of elected representatives. He declared that non-transparent elections would not be acceptable. Commenting on the superior judiciary, Fahim said that it is not a “holy cow” and it is not the job of the courts to run the government. MQM’s Rasheed Godil said that delimitations should be done transparently and electronic voting machines should be used in the local bodies’ elections.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had on Wednesday announced that the local bodies’ elections in Punjab and Sindh will be held on December 7 and November 27, respectively. According to the schedule issued by the election commission, the nomination papers would be received on 11th and 12th of this month. Objections against the nomination papers can be filed on the 13th, while scrutiny would take place from 16th to 18th of this month. The election commission has issued instructions to the governments of Punjab and Sindh for the local bodies’ elections.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk