General elections to be held in last week of January 2024: ECP
Says initial list for the delimitation of constituencies will be published on September 27; seeks DCs help in election preparations; Election date announcement a positive development: Solangi; PDM parties welcome announcement of election date; PTI to move top court
ISLAMABAD (APP): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has decided to conduct the general elections in the last week of January 2024, following the completion of delimitation processes. In a statement, an ECP spokesperson mentioned that the commission will publish the definitive list of constituencies on November 30. Subsequently, the general election schedule, spanning 54 days, will be announced in preparation for the elections.
In a Thursday meeting, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) reviewed the progress made by the constituency delimitation committees and decided to publish the preliminary list of constituencies on September 27.
INP adds The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday announced that general elections would be held in the last week of January 2024.
The timeframe that was announced by the ECP lacks a specific date for the elections. It also exceeds the Nov 6 cut-off date suggested by President Arif Alvi by more than two months.
In a statement, the election commission said that it reviewed work on delimiting constituencies and decided that the initial list for the delimitation of constituencies would be published on September 27.
After hearing objections and suggestions regarding the exercise, the final list would be issued on November 30, the commission said. It said that polls would be held in the last week of January following the completion of a 54-day election campaign programme.
The announcement comes a day after the ECP said it had scheduled a meeting with political parties next month to discuss the code of conduct for general elections.
According to the ECP, a draft code of conduct has been shared with political parties to get their feedback before finalising the rules of the game.
The draft code says political parties, contesting candidates and election agents shall not propagate any opinion, or act in any manner prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan, or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan, or morality or public order, or the integrity or independence of the judiciary of Pakistan, or which defames or brings into ridicule any government institution including the judiciary and the armed forces.
The ECP had ruled out elections this year, citing the need for fresh delimitation of constituencies following the notification of the latest 2023 digital census.
Since the National Assembly was dissolved three days before the end of its constitutional term, Article 224 of the Constitution mandates that elections be held within 90 days of the dissolution of the assembly by November 7.
But at the same time, Section 17(2) of the Elections Act states that “the commission shall delimit constituencies after every census is officially published.
Meanwhile Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi said on Thursday that announcement of the election date by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was a positive development.
Addressing a news conference, he welcomed the announcement on behalf of the caretaker government. It was a moment of delight that the election would be held in line with the law and the Constitution.
Flanked by Caretaker Federal Minister for Privatization Fawad Hassan Fawad, he said it was a day of despair for rumour-mongers as the ECP made the announcement regarding general elections which would be held in the last week of January 2024.
As the uncertainty surrounding general elections ended with the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) announcement of a timeframe for the polls, major political parties in the former ruling alliance welcomed the development, hoping that it would remove the apprehensions regarding the political situation of the country.
In a much-awaited move, the electoral authority has announced that elections will be held in January next year following the completion of the delimitation process.
Polls were supposed to have taken place within 90 days, but the election watchdog said it needed more time to redraw constituencies following the latest population census.
“The final list of constituencies will be published on November 30. After that, the elections will be held in the last week of January 2024, after a 54-day election programme,” the commission said in a statement.
Reacting to the development, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) viewed it as positive while Awami National Party (ANP) called for a specific date, however, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) decided to challenge the move in court.
PTI to challenge ECP decision
Following the announcement of the poll date, the Imran Khan-led party has decided to challenge the Election Commission’s decision to conduct elections in the last week of January.
Speaking to a private tv channel, PTI’s core committee member Niazullah Niazi said that the Constitution calls for elections within 90 days and exceeding the period is unlawful.
“We will challenge the Election Commission’s decision. The way the ECP is working it does not look like a constitutional institution,” Niazi said, adding that President Arif Alvi has the authority to announce a date for polls.
Senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal said that his party welcomed the decision by the ECP as it has ended the uncertainty about the delimitation.
“Everyone knew from the first day that the election commission was bound to conduct delimitation after the census,” said Iqbal.
Hope best for the election