KP LBs term ends on August 28 as new polls not in sight

ISLAMABAD: The term of existing three-tier Local Bodies (LBs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expires on August 28 with no possibility of the next electoral exercise on time (within 120 days) in sight, as the ruling provincial Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will formally seek time prior to readying itself for the new two-tier system.

Under Article 140A of the Constitution and Section (4) 219 of the Election Act 2017, holding of elections within 120 days after expiry of tenure of local bodies in the province is a constitutional obligation for Election Commission of Pakistan. As per the article, each province shall, by law, establish a local government system and devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility to elected representatives of the local governments.

Though, the Election Commission had held meetings with the provincial government representatives in Peshawar and here as well, reminding them about the upcoming polls, there are issues, mostly technical to be settled first.

Already, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed the new Local Government Act, 2019 in April this year. However, before going for the new elections, the provincial government needs some months to address certain technicalities: the provincial Ministry of Local Government is holding talks with various ministries and departments presently, keeping in view the fact that the local bodies under the new act will consist of two tiers, including tehsil and village system; top tier. i.e. the district level has been done away with.

Senior official at the Election Commission told The News that the term of the present local bodies would end on August 28 for which the elections were held on May 30, 2015. Hence, the due date for holding of the new election was December 27 this year. “We had been awaiting certain actions on the part of the provincial government to be taken well on time and to this effect, ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad had a meeting with the KP authorities several months and pointed out matters to be carried out. However, though there is progress, there are so many things to be done,” he explained.

The Election Commission is continuing hearing with regards to the next local bodies elections and the next hearing is fixed for August 26, as the electoral body it awaits issuance of the official gazette notification, showing number of tehsil/city council and neighbourhood councils from the KP provincial government. It is pertinent that delimitation committees were notified last month on July 23.

When approached on telephone for his comment on the matter, KP Minister for Local Government Shehram Khan told The News that the provincial government was smoothly working on certain technicalities and sorting out issues among different departments and rules and regulations to be thrashed out. “The existing system and the act will be history on August 28 and to get ready for the new one, putting things on ground and settling things, regarding various departments needs time, like transfer of power, concerning education, health, fisheries, sports etc,” he explained.

Replying to a question, he said that they had been keeping the Election Commission posted about the related progress and update and their team would be present before the Election Commission bench Monday again to explain the present position and how important was to ensure continuity but no final date or deadline could be anticipated in the given situation regarding the next local government elections.

He emphasised the KP government believed in local bodies system and was the first to give a new and innovative look to the very system earlier as well for 'our intentions are clear and we are committed to serving our people in the best possible way'.