LAHORE: District administrations in the Punjab continued to follow the notified schedule for the local government elections.
They completed the scrutiny of nomination papers and produced lists of eligible candidates on January 4, as scheduled by the ECP. Appeals against acceptance and rejection of nominations can be filed on January 6 and 7. Final decisions on the appeals are scheduled to be made between January 8 and 11. The candidates are allowed to withdraw nominations till January 12. The final list of candidates and their party symbols is to be notified on January 13.
However, the process for the local government elections is likely to start afresh in view of a Lahore High Court judgement declaring the relevant sections of the law unconstitutional and delimitations void. The ECP, however, is yet to issue an order in this regard.
On Sunday, district government staff sat outside their offices and prepared the lists of valid nominations. This is the second time nominations have been filed. According to the first schedule issued by the ECP, the elections were to be held on December 7, 2013.
However, after the court ordered elections on party basis, the new nomination process started afresh with candidates declaring their political affiliation.
Several district administration officers said that the ECP should have suspended the scrutiny following the Lahore High Court order. They said it was frustrating going through an apparently futile exercise. Local Government Secretary Jawad Rafique said the department could not have suspended the process until the ECP notified a postponement.
ECP Election Officer Atif Rahim said the ECP decision would be conveyed to the executive on Monday (today).
Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2014.