ISLAMABAD: As many as 321 nominations for local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), which are scheduled for December 31st, were rejected by the appellate electoral authorities during scrutiny process — reducing the total number of nominations for these polls from 3,866 to 3,545 nominations — for 1,212 seats.
Appeals for/against the acceptance/rejection of the nominations were heard by the electoral authorities till Wednesday — and the related decisions by the appellate authorities would be issued on the coming Monday.
Presently, 490 nominations have been received for 101 positions of chairman/vice chairman, 1,773 nominations for 606 general seats, 503 nominations for 202 woman seats, 314 nominations for 101 youth seats, 331 nominations for 101 labourer/peasant seats and 134 nominations for 101 non-Muslim seats, according to the data issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
Before scrutiny, the electoral body received 3,866 nominations—537 nominations for chairman/vice chairman seats, 1,945 nominations for general seats, 546 nominations for 202 woman seats, 344 nominations for youth seats, 348 nominations for labourer/peasant seats and 146 nominations for non-Muslim seats.
On October 20, the ECP issued the schedule for LG polls in ICT.
According to this schedule, public notice inviting nominations for LG polls was issued on November 1, dates for filing of nomination papers: November 7-11, publication of names of the nominated candidates: November 14, scrutiny of nomination papers: November 15-18, filing of appeals against acceptance/rejection of nomination papers: November 21-23, deciding of appeals by the appellate authorities: November 28, revised list of contesting candidates: November 29, withdrawal of candidature: November 30, allotment of electoral symbols to contesting candidates: December 1 and revised polling date: December 31.
The local bodies in ICT completed their five-year term in February last year.
But, thereafter, the conduct of LG polls saw delay on one pretext or the other before the ECP issued the schedule for ICT elections in November.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022