EC asks independents to join any party
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission Sunday reminded the independent members-elect of the national and provincial assemblies to join any political party by March 04.
Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Muhammad Dilshad said here that the independent lawmakers-elect were required to apply to a leader of any political party for his political affiliation and the party leader was also needed to intimate in writing to the EC about this development.
In this connection, he drew attention to sub-clause (c) of Clause (4) of Article 5 of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002, which provided that the members to fill seats reserved for women which are allocated to a province shall be elected through proportional representation system of political parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party from the province concerned in the National Assembly.
He noted that sub-clause (f) further provided that the members to fill seats reserved for non-Muslims shall be elected through proportional representation system of political parties’ list of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party in the National Assembly.
Similarly, clause (d) of Article 6 of the Conduct of General Elections Order, 2002 envisaged that the members to fill the seats reserved for women and non-Muslims allocated to a province shall be elected through proportional representation system of political parties’ lists of candidates on the basis of total number of general seats won by each political party in a provincial assembly. Provided that for the purpose of the term “total number of general seats” shall include the independent returned candidates who may duly join such political party within three (3) days of the publication in the official gazette of the names of the returned candidates.
The independent returned candidates were required to apply to the leader of the political party for joining his party and the leader of the party forthwith was required to inform the Election Commission of his joining through a letter to be delivered to the Election Commission in terms of sub-rule (5) of rule 3 of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies allocation of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims (Procedure) Rules, 2002.
Source: The News
Date:3/3/2008
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