The much-awaited Local Government (LG) elections of the federal Capital have been postponed once again following the promulgation of the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance by the President Asif Ali Zardari. According to the issued ordinance a major overhaul has been introduced in local government system in Islamabad.
Under the newly issued presidential ordinance, amendments have been made to the Islamabad Local Government Act, abolishing the existing metropolitan corporation system in the federal capital. In its place, a town corporation-based system will be introduced.
Now Islamabad will be divided into three Town Corporations, corresponding to the three National Assembly (NA) constituencies of the Federal Capital. Each town corporation will consist of a number of union councils to be notified by the federal government.
The ordinance empowers the government to amend the boundaries of town corporations and union councils after hearing public objections and recommendations. However, no changes to boundaries will be allowed once the election schedule is announced.
The ordinance defines local government as comprising union councils and town corporations. In areas where local government institutions are not functional, the federal government will appoint administrators. The term “head” refers to the mayor of a town corporation or the chairman of a union council.
Under the new administrative structure, each town corporation will have a mayor and two deputy mayors. Chairmen of union councils will serve as general members of their respective town corporations. In addition, each town corporation will include reserved seats comprising four women members, one farmer or worker, one trader or businessman, one youth and one non-Muslim member.
At the union council level, general members will be elected through a secret ballot. Each union council has been declared a multi-member ward. Each voter will be allowed to cast a vote for only one general member candidate, while the nine candidates securing the highest number of votes will be elected as general members.
The ordinance allows successful candidates to join any political party within thirty days of their election. General members will elect representatives for reserved seats through a show of hands, while both general and reserved members will jointly elect the chairman and vice chairman of the union council from among themselves through a show of hands. The chairman and vice chairman will also be permitted to join a political party within thirty days after their election.
The chairman of the union council will serve as a general member of the town corporation.
At the town corporation level, general members will elect members to reserved seats through a show of hands. Subsequently, all members of the town corporation will jointly elect the mayor and deputy mayors by a majority vote. Under the ordinance, only members of the town corporation will be eligible to contest elections for the offices of mayor and deputy mayor.
