QUETTA: Balochistan Prime Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo has made a policy statement regarding local government (LG) polls and said the government is fully prepared to organize the scheduled elections, SIAL NEWS reported on Thursday.
Baluchistan CM Abdul Quddus Bizenjo said that the provincial government is fully prepared to organize the LG elections according to the schedule prescribed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“All the departments involved have been given the task of organizing the LG surveys. The electoral process will be peaceful and fair at all costs. We seek the postponement of the elections due to budget preparations and some other reasons.
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Bizenjo added that LG institutions are necessary to transfer power to the grassroots level. He expressed the hope that all political parties will fully participate in the upcoming LG polls.
ECP rejects plea
Earlier in the day, the ECP rejected a request from the Balochistan government to postpone local government elections in the province.
During the hearing, Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja said that the ECP could not withdraw its decision to hold elections for local governments and if the provincial authorities made an excuse, the matter would be taken to the High Court of Pakistan.
“Should we tell the high court that the provincial authorities are not cooperating with the electoral commission to hold local body elections?” the CEC asked.
Sikandar Sultan Raja further shared that they were in coordination with the law enforcement authorities and that the provincial authorities should not worry about the public order situation. “Tell us under what law we will postpone the elections?” the CEC asked the lawyer representing the Baluchistan government.
Another ECP official during the hearing said that the high court has clearly stated that the ECP was responsible for holding elections in the province. “We have completed the delimitation process in Balochistan province,” the ECP special secretary said.
The CEC further said that general elections are not currently in sight and that they have to implement the Constitution regarding local body elections.
Schedule of Balochistan LG elections
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had released the local body election schedule in Baluchistan on March 30. According to the Pakistan Election Commission, local elections except Lasbela will be held on May 29. Returning officials will issue public notices on April 11 .
According to the schedule, nomination papers can be filed from April 15 to 18. Nomination papers will be reviewed from April 20-22, after which the final list of candidates will be released on May 7.
The ECP had clarified that after the issuance of the electoral schedule, appointments and transfers will be prohibited. No public official can visit the constituencies.
No development plan can be announced in constituencies after the schedule is published, the ECP said.
