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Sunday, November 10, 2013
Sindh government yet to nominate ROs for LG electionsBy Amar Guriro
KARACHI: In the third phase of the transition of democracy, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has started issuing nomination papers for the upcoming Local Government (LG) elections in Sindh from Saturday.
As per the options provided to the ECP by the Supreme Court, polls would be held in Sindh on November 27.
On Wednesday, the commission issued the LG election schedule for the three provinces including Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan, according to which the LG polls would be held in Punjab and Balochistan on December 5; however KP government has yet not decided the final date for the LG polls. “Around 0.8 million nomination papers have been printed for Sindh and will be available for the candidates,” an official of ECP told Daily Times.
In Sindh, the candidates would get nomination forms from November 9 and have to submit the forms by November 12, while objections could be filed on November 13. Returning Officers (RO) would conduct scrutiny on November 16 and 17. Appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers could be filed on November 18 and 19, which would be decided by November 21. The final list of contestants along with their election symbols would be published on November 23. Polling day would be November 27.
According to the information that Daily Times acquired from ECP, first time the commission has introduced a single form for the Nazims, women, labour and even minority seats; there were separate forms for each in the last LG polls.
The candidates contesting election in Sindh have to submit a proof and an oath declaring declaring that they or their spouse do not owe a loan of Rs 50,000 or above to any government department.
The candidates have also to provide assurance that they or someone in their family has not defaulted any bill for electricity or drinking water connections.
Furthermore, the contestants must present details of any cases lodged against them and also their own, and their spouse’s assets, property and income tax, agricultural tax and service tax particulars.
According to the ECP’s schedule, the Returning Officers (RO) will issue the nomination forms, but so far government has not nominated any officers.
It may be worth mentioning that since Supreme Court of Pakistan started a hearing on LG Polls, Sindh, Punjab and Baluchistan gave dates on which they can arrange the LG Polls, after which the court asked the ECP to issue election schedules for the provinces; however National Assembly passed a resolution requesting the court to postpone the LG polls.
Former dictator Pervez Musharraf introduced local government in the country via the 2001 Local Government Ordinance. In 2010 the elected government abolished the LG System in the country, and since then, there have been no LG polls.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk