ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a code of conduct on Sunday to ensure the upcoming Sindh’s elections are conducted fairly in accordance with the constitution.
Polling for mayor, deputy mayor, chairman and vice chairman in the district councils, municipal committees, town committees, Municipal Corporation, district municipal corporations and Metropolitan Corporation will be held on August 24, said a notification.
The ECP directed that all executive authorities in the federation and in the provinces will neither announce any development nor use state resources in the local government elections to influence a particular candidate’s votes.
Any government official found misusing his power to influence the election results would be held accountable under the Sindh Local Government Act, 2013. No transfers of the civil servants will be made after the issuance of LG polls schedule – unless the commission approves it.
The offices of the election commission as well as the offices of district returning officers and returning officers will remain open on all public holidays during the schedule period. All electoral activities shall be undertaken during office hours and the said timing will also be followed on public holidays.
– Electronic voting might not be possible –
The commission may not be able to make the experimental use of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in September’s elections due to the dilly-dallying procurement process. The parliamentary committee on electoral reforms had asked the ECP to execute the pilot project of the EVMs in September’s elections, said an official.
The commission initiated the process to purchase 400 EVMs to use them experimentally for in election but could not purchase them so far, he said. “If the experiment is successful, the next general elections will be held through electronic voting,” Sub-Committee Chairman Zahid Hamid said.
ECP Public Relations Additional Director General Suraiya Jamal said that the process of procurement is underway and the commission cannot give a final date for the EVMs use in the elections.
