The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) finally notified on Wednesday the schedule for the first phase of long delayed local government (LG) elections in Punjab and Sindh. In the first phase, polling will be held in 12 districts of Punjab and eight districts of Sindh on October 31. After official notification of schedule, no changes can be made in the voter-lists in both provinces. Similarly, the provincial governments cannot make any postings and transfers of public servants unless approved by the commission. Districts of Punjab that will go for LG polls in the first phase are Lahore, Chakwal, Lodhran, Vehari, Okara, Pakpattan, Bahwalnagar, Faisalabad, Bhakar, Kasur, Nankana Sahib and Gujrat. In Sindh, polling will be held in districts Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Larkana, Shikarpur, Qamber-Shahdadkot, Jacobabad and Kashmore-Kandhkot. The ECP had suggested that the LG polls be held in phases to avoid errors and irregularities but the provincial government did not heed that advice. There have been several excuses for the repeated postponement of these elections, including the monsoon floods, but the Supreme Court finally told the ECP that it could not shirk its constitutional responsibilities and rejected the motion to further defer the elections. Now, it can only be hoped that the LG polls will finally take place as scheduled and the current controversy surrounding the ECP will not derail these elections even further. The PTI and PPP are asking for the provincial members of the ECP to be removed from their posts because the discrepancies in the results of the last national elections were attributed to them. A change in the ECP so close to the LG elections will only cause more delays in this crucial democratic process. Since the 2013 general elections, the ECP has come under fire for mishandling the electoral process. This time around, the ECP seems to be treading lightly and its members have most likely realised that they cannot afford to make any more mistakes in conducting the LG elections. After the findings of the Judicial Commission on the allegations of organised and wilful rigging in the 2013 general elections by the PML-N, the PTI’s long and raucous protest has proved to be nothing but a waste of time that could have been spent on better governance in KP and a constructive opposition role in parliament. The PTI’s 126-day-long dharna (sit-in) was spurred on by the electronic media. For this election, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA) will be monitoring election coverage to ensure that the opinions of both parties are aired in the case of a disagreement and that news channels do not spur unnecessary controversy that hinders the democratic process.
pk.shafaqna.com
