ECP to unveil LG polls schedule soon: minister

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Local Government Akbar Ayub Khan on Saturday said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would soon announce the schedule for local body elections in the province.

“The ECP has issued notification for the appointment of district returning officers (DROs), returning officers and presiding officers for 34 districts of the province. However, the delimitation process for Peshawar would be completed by July 8 after which DROs and the rest of the election staff will be notified,” he added. The minister said the ECP has not notified the election staff so the local body polls could be delayed due to incomplete delimitation in other provinces.

A handout said that he was speaking to a delegation from Mardan.

The minister said the government had introduced reforms in the local government system to end rigging and ensure transparency in the LG polls.

“Now elections will be held at village or neighbourhood council and tehsil or city council only as the union council and district tier has been abolished,” he added.

Akbar Ayub clarified that each voter would have to cast six votes simultaneously. He added that one vote would be cast for the city mayor or tehsil chairman, one vote for the village or neighborhood council general councillor in which three members will be elected on the basis of majority votes, one vote for the farmers, one for the women, one for the youth and one vote for minority councillor candidates.

The minister said the government had launched the city improvement project at a cost of Rs103 billion in the new financial year wherein Mardan would get the lion’s share.