- Election on seats reserved for peasants and workers to be held on Dec 31, results on Jan 2
- Balochistan to become first province with functional LG system since 2009
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued the schedule for elections on the local government seats reserved for peasants and workers in Balochistan to be held on Dec 31 – a step that would make Balochistan the first province to have a fully functional local government (LG) system since the last one expired in 2009.
According to the schedule issued by ECP, the members elected on general seats from each local council will elect members on seats reserved for peasants and workers on December 31.
Under Balochistan’s local government laws, five per cent quota of seats is reserved in every council for peasants and workers. Thirty-three per cent quota of reserved seats in the province is allocated for women and five per cent for minorities. The members on the reserved seats for women and minorities were elected on May 29 this year, almost six months after the elections on general seats.
Election on peasants and workers seats suffered a long delay when Balochistan Assembly amended the laws earlier this year inculcating another category “professionals and social workers”. After the amendment, the five per cent quota for peasants and workers is shared by both peasants and workers and professionals and social workers.
The amendment was challenged in the Balochistan High Court (BHC) which issued a stay order against the polls for these categories which were to be held on May 29. Elections for the rest of the reserved categories were held according to the schedule.
BHC earlier this month nullified the amended law and termed it against the constitution and removed the newly created category. After this decision, the ECP has issued schedule of polls for peasants and workers seats.
Nominations papers for these polls will be issued from November 28 and intending candidates have been asked to submit these nominations by December 9, while the lists of final candidates will be issued on December 19. Elections on these seats will be held on December 31. Results for these elections will be made public on January 2 next year.
