Local interests
The original
Supreme Court deadline of September 15 to hold the local bodies elections
throughout the country has come and gone and still the provinces are holding
out[1].
Punjab and Sindh, in particular, seem in no hurry to follow the constitution
which stipulates[2]
that local government elections should be held within 90 days of a general
election. Now the Supreme Court – without giving a specific date – has ordered
the government to hold the elections, and if they dither[3]
unnecessarily then the court will set a date. Of late[4]
the Election Commission seems to have moved[5]
and has called a meeting of all the provinces at the end of this month to
discuss the issue.
The PML-N has been the major impediment to holding local elections in Punjab. Since the PML-N already controls Punjab after sweeping the provincial elections, its elected members probably do not see much benefit in holding local polls and diluting[6] their personal power. There is also a slight chance that the PTI and the JI could form an alliance and make inroads[7] into the province. Either way, the constitutional requirement to hold the local bodies polls should not be held hostage to the whims[8] of politicians. This is where Supreme Court intervention is so welcome. It has shown flexibility in not setting a date that would unduly burden the Election Commission of Pakistan and give political parties scant[9] time to organise and campaign. But if the provincial governments continue to stall[10] for time the Supreme Court will be left with no choice but to set an arbitrary date.
The PML-N has been the major impediment to holding local elections in Punjab. Since the PML-N already controls Punjab after sweeping the provincial elections, its elected members probably do not see much benefit in holding local polls and diluting[6] their personal power. There is also a slight chance that the PTI and the JI could form an alliance and make inroads[7] into the province. Either way, the constitutional requirement to hold the local bodies polls should not be held hostage to the whims[8] of politicians. This is where Supreme Court intervention is so welcome. It has shown flexibility in not setting a date that would unduly burden the Election Commission of Pakistan and give political parties scant[9] time to organise and campaign. But if the provincial governments continue to stall[10] for time the Supreme Court will be left with no choice but to set an arbitrary date.
(International
The News, 18 September 2013)
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