Paving the way for the lions

The neighbourhood wakes up to know that “honesty, fearlessness and service to the masses” is being served for breakfast. Inscribed with fancy wordplay, hoardings and banners addressing the locals have started to flood the city streets as individuals claiming to be khadims (servants) of the masses have started gearing up for local government (LG) polls.
The sudden popping up of banners and billboards is just the start of a process which will culminate in the formation of local councils headed by mayors and chairmen.
While the ‘servants’, backed by the local elders and notables, have started to make their presence felt for the upcoming polls, allegations of gerrymandering or ‘pre-polls rigging’ by the incumbent government have also started to surface.
While the Punjab government has informed the court it could hold LG elections by December 7, the DCOs and ACs across the province are busy finalising the delimitation process amidst the Punjab Assembly’s opposition’s charges of political maneuvering.
GERRYMANDERING — HOW IT IS DONE: A senior government official not wanting to be named sees the delimitation process finalised by November 10 when the Punjab government will submit the lists to the election commission for it to hold elections when it desires.
“Baradarism [caste system] is the major factor at play in the local elections held on a non-party basis. Although the ACs and DCOs cannot break up a revenue estate [mauza] or a census block, the way they could arrange these in one constituency can totally change the position of a candidate – making or breaking him. If all the votes of the Gujjar clan, let’s say, are put together in one constituency, it will be no coincidence if the situation turns favourable for the candidate from the same clan. Such maneuvering happens in all local elections. The term gerrymandering itself came from the US, but the overwhelming tide of the mood of the people is going to decide the actual fate,” the official added.
‘NOT FAIR’: Chaudhry Liaqat Jatt is a candidate for chairman from Sanda Kalan. He claims the map of his constituency looks like a bunch of tunnels with various streets joined together in a strange manner only to favour the ruling party’s candidate.
“And this is happening everywhere. I’ve went to the DCO’s office several times to express our reservations on the delimitation. Initially he used delaying tactics, called us even on Eid when no one was in office, and he finally told us that the date for submission of reservations had passed. We will still contest the elections whatever tactics they may use,” Jatt added. Reportedly, Lahore DCO Nasim Saddiq has forwarded more than 300 objections after ‘short-listing’ to the commissioner for the final word. Jatt claims his objection like hundreds others have not been taken into account at the first place, not to mention the “sorting out”.
‘CONTACT THE COMMISSIONER IF YOU HAVE ISSUES’: Local Government Department Secretary Jawad Rafiq was not available for comments. However, another senior official not wanting to be named brushed aside the allegations for gerrymandering saying the AC or DCO cannot break the census block and also mentioned that people could file their objections to the commissioner.