Commission appoints regional election commissioner Multan as district returning officer and district election commissioner as returning officer for by-poll
After the much-hyped controversy over the judiciary’s role in last year’s general elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced on Tuesday that it will appoint its own officials as returning officers to supervise the by-polls in NA-149 Multan-II scheduled for October 16.
The seat had fallen vacant after the resignation of disgruntled PTI leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi.
The ECP, which has come under fire for its policies of turning towards the judiciary for appointing election supervisors during the May 2013 general elections, has appointed regional election commissioner Multan as the district returning officer and district election commissioner as the returning officer.
The Multan assistant commissioner, district education officer and Multan election officer will work under the DRO and RO as assistant returning officers for the constituency, an official notification said. It is for the first time in years that ECP has appointed non-judicial officers as DRO and RO.
For the past many years judicial officers of lower judiciary have been appointed as returning officer while district and session judges served as DROs. Questions were raised over the role of these judicial officers in the alleged rigging during last year’s general elections.
The newly appointed RO will issue public notice for polls in the constituency on Wednesday. Under the schedule intending candidates can file nomination papers on September 22 and 23. The RO will scrutinize the nomination papers on September 24th and 25th.Appeals against the decisions of RO can be filed by September 27. Final list of candidates will be displayed on October 1, 2014.
Re-polling at 33 polling stations in PP-97 Gujranwala
Following the election tribunal’s decision, ECP has ordered re-poll in 33 polling stations of a Punjab Assembly constituency PP-97 Gujranwala.
ECP has issued a notification in this regard and asked the DRO to prepare fresh polling schedule for the 33 polling stations mentioned by tribunal’s order. Chaudhry Ashraf Warraich of PML-N was declared winner in the May 11, 2013 general elections from the constituency.
The tribunal declared his election void till fresh poll in 33 polling stations where it found large scale anomalies.
