Islamabad LG Polls
ISLAMABAD: Following recent amendments to the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced the postponement of the local bodies elections initially scheduled for October 9, 2024.
The ECP’s decision to delay the elections comes as a response to significant changes in the local government law, which require further adjustments to the electoral process.
The ECP issued a notification stating, “The ECP has decided to hold in abeyance the Election Programme issued via its notification number dated 20/8/2024 for the conduct of local government elections in Islamabad Capital Territory, until further orders.” This postponement will remain in effect until the Commission provides additional instructions.
The amendments to the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act were enacted after President Asif Ali Zardari gave his assent to the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2024 on August 29.
This bill had been passed by both the National Assembly and the Senate, despite substantial opposition from various political factions.
One of the key changes introduced by the new bill is the increase in the number of general seats in union councils (UCs) from six to nine, and an increase in the number of women’s seats from two to three. These adjustments are aimed at enhancing representation within the local government.
The amendments include significant changes to the electoral structure. Section 7 of the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2024 now mandates that union councils be divided into nine wards for the purpose of electing members to general seats, up from the previous six wards per council.
Additionally, Section 15 stipulates that all nine general members of each union council will be directly elected by voters registered within that council.
Furthermore, the amendments include changes to Section 17, which replaces references to the Representation of People Act, 1976 with the Elections Act, 2017.
Section 11 also introduces new positions within the union councils, including a chairman and vice chairman as joint candidates, alongside nine general members, one woman, one peasant, worker, businessperson or technocrat, one youth member, and one non-Muslim member.
Initially, the ECP had rescheduled the polling date from September 29 to October 9, 2024, in response to requests from political parties for additional time to prepare.
The Commission had aimed to facilitate the participation of various political entities and candidates by accommodating their needs and adjusting the election timeline accordingly.
However, with the recent legal amendments, further delays have been deemed necessary to ensure the electoral process aligns with the new legislative framework.
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