ECP gets over 7,000 nomination papers: strict adherence to rules halves number of candidates

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has received more than 7,000 nomination papers for seats of National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies till Sunday, an ECP official said. This translated into almost a 50 percent reduction against nomination papers submitted during the last general elections held in 2008.
According to ECP's report on General Elections 2008, as many as 4,184 nomination papers had been filed for 272 National Assembly constituencies. Similarly, 9,514 candidates had filed their nomination papers for 577 general seats in the provincial assemblies.
ECP said that this time around, an estimated 2,400 nomination papers for the seats of National Assembly and 4,600 for provincial assemblies were received across the country by Returning Officers (ROs). Earlier, the ECP extended the deadline for candidates to file nomination forms from 4 pm till midnight (Sunday). The time for receiving nominations for the seats reserved for women and non-Muslims in the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies was also extended till midnight on Sunday. The official said the number of National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies candidates was lower than the 2008 general election because of the strict adherence to parameters adopted by the ECP for the general election.
The candidates also used the relaxation on the condition of opening new bank accounts to justify election expenditures within ECP-specified limits. The ECP had granted two additional days for submitting nomination papers till March 31 after Balochistan-based political parties approached the Chief Election Commissioner and requested for an extension.