PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has decided to challenge the verdict of the Peshawar High Court (PHC), saying that the party-based elections will be a violation of local government act.
“Holding LG polls on party lines will complicate the process of issuing party tickets to three candidates each for village and neighborhood seats,” Information minister Kamran Bangash said. “Due to amendments in the Local Government Act, holding LG polls will not be possible as per the announced schedule.”
Read more:
KP to hold local government elections in three phases
ECP decides to hold LG polls in KP on party-basis
Party-based LG polls: KP mulls to challenge court verdict
He said that issuing of party tickets to three candidates will complicate the situation and will also put voters in confusion due to the presence of three candidate from one political party. Similarly, Bangash said amendments to the Local Government Act will be required to implement the verdict of the High Court. He said that schedule of the local body polls has already been announced while the amendments will take time.
“We respect the judiciary and the rule of law but we will use our legal right to appeal against the high court judgment,” Bangash said.
After the Peshawar high court declared the local government elections “unconstitutional” the ECP issued notification that the election will held party bases. The ECP has also sent a letter to Returning Officers stating that now the Village and Neighborhood Councils Elections will be held on party basis.
The Election Commission has directed that now all Returning Officers will receive nominations but the candidate will also be submitting party names on the nomination papers. Similarly, candidates will submit party tickets after which the Returning Officers will allot them party symbols.
A four-member special committee of KP cabinet met election commission officials in Islamabad on Thursday. Briefing the media after meeting, Bangash said that he had presented Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government position before the Election Commission.