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After the bypolls and Senate elections, the next major challenge would be hosting the local government elections. The government was in no hurry but was increasingly being pushed by the Supreme Court to hold the elections and devolve power even further.
The ECP has announced to hold the local bodies elections in phases particularly in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The governments of both provinces want the elections to be held in September due to the rising number of coronavirus cases. There are a lot of administrative issues that need to be sorted before the election. Punjab wants to make amendments in the local body law while Sindh does not want to elections until new census results are announced.
In recent weeks, the provincial governments have earned the ire of Supreme Court for delaying in holding local body elections. The top court has castigated provincial governments for not holding local bodies polls, saying the country is being destroyed in a systematic manner.
Senior judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa said local body elections are a constitutional requirement but the provinces start counting off their problems instead of fulfilling their obligations. He went so far as saying that Punjab had ‘killed’ democracy by dissolving the local government before the expiry of its term.
The PTI government had dissolved the local government in Punjab to stop the lingering influence of the PML-N but has failed to establish a new law. The ECP has also raised doubts over the seriousness of the Punjab government in holding the polls and has rejected the excuse of holding the elections due to the coronavirus pandemic. There are not completely unsubstantiated as the government is still grappling the second phase of the pandemic but has caused a standoff over the matter.
Another issue has been raised over the cost of the polls as the ECP has proposed a whopping Rs18 billion for the cost of the elections as it must larger than the national and provincial assembly elections. This is also larger than the 2018 general elections which were the most expensive in the country’s history. This will also be a huge financial and logistical challenge for the government. It is a welcome sign that we are moving forward but the situation should be kept in mind while holding the polls as a lot is at stake.
