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CE announces local govt elections schedule

ISLAMABAD: Chief Executive Gen. Pervez Musharraf on Thursday announced the holding of community government elections, which will begin on Dec 2000 at Union Council level and come to a completion with District Assemblies' elections by July, 2001.

Announcing the programme for devolution of power and responsibility, at Chagai auditorium, he stated that voters' age would be lowered by three years, from the present 21 years to 18 years, to broaden voting base and ensure maximum participation of the youth.

Elections will be held in two stages. First the Union Council level, commencing in December 2000 in 15 districts and subsequently in Feb, March, April and May, with 20-25 districts going to polls each time.

In the second stage, the district assemblies' elections will be held countrywide in July 2001.

All government/councils upto district level will be in place by Aug 14, 2001.

These elections, he said, will be held on a non-party basis, and lead to governments which will function with checks and balances. The working of these governments, he said, will be strictly monitored.

The Chief Executive also declared that speedy justice will be provided at the doorsteps of the people by revival of conciliatory courts at union levels and increasing the number of courts.

Gen. Musharraf told the crowded Press Conference that these "new, vastly empowered local bodies are not going to be a substitute for the Provincial Assemblies or the National Assembly and Senate and neither are they going to be used as an electoral college for other levels of democracy."

"The new local bodies are going to serve as the strong, grass-roots level democratic foundation of a political system in which at a second and third stage, the Provincial Assemblies will be elected, to be followed by the elections of a National Assembly and the Senate."

"The framework being announced today (Thursday) represents a practical and concrete fulfilment of the Pakistan Resolution."

He said, districts would be empowered both administratively and financially and administrative divisions will cease to exist when Local Councils and District Assemblies are in place after these elections.

Elections to the Union Councils framework will comprise district assemblies, tehsil councils and Union Councils. The elections to the Union Councils and District Assemblies will be held on a direct basis while those of tehsil councils will be indirect.

The new dispensation, he said, will end the rural-urban divide, as it would be for the first time that elections to Union Council will be introduced in the urban areas. (Previously, the urban areas used to have union committees while rural areas had union councils, as lowest tiers).

"The March 23, 2000 represents the beginning of Pakistan revolution, a peaceful, constructive, democratic, dynamic revolution Ñ whose sole objective is to place in hands of the people the power to shape their own destiny," he said.

He said, "With this new concept of elected community governments, an unprecedented transfer of power will take place from the elites to the vast majority."

"The people themselves will become empowered to take charge of the foundations of democracy and of the system by which they are governed."

The Chief Executive read out a statement at the outset on the devolution of power and responsibility, which marks the establishment of the foundation of democracy.

He said, district and local governments were the fundamental tier of democracy and serve in the best interests of the people.

"In the present political structure there is a political void below the Provincial level which is exploited by our so-called representatives who control the destiny of the people through vested interests Ñ we want to change this."

Among others, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, Local Government Minister Umar Asghar Khan, Adviser to Chief Executive on National Affairs Javed Jabbar, and the Chairman NRB Lt. Gen. Naqvi were also present. APP