Schedule for Pak. local bodies polls announced

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, DEC. 3. The Election Commission has called for nominations for the elections to the local bodies and announced the poll schedule.

The last date for receiving nominations is December 5, but there is hardly any evidence of enthusiasm among the people. The polls are being held under a convoluted and confusing scheme. Members of political parties are barred from taking part in the elections but can participate in the process as ordinary citizens.

The election is supposedly an attempt to usher in democracy from below. The process of elections at the grassroots level would continue till early August next year from the last week of this month. The military establishment has not been able to explain why it should take over eight months to complete the process.

The Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, had repeatedly said the military would abide by the Supreme Court directive to restore democracy by October 2002. He promised to hold elections at the provincial and national level after completing the process at the lowest level.

Polling in the first phase of the local bodies' election, scheduled for December 31, would cover 18 districts spread over all four provinces.

Most political parties have described the process as ``undemocratic'' and ``unworkable''. They are, however, worried about the prospects of a new crop of leaders emerging if the field were to left open. The largest religious party, Jamaat-e- Islami, has decided to boycott the election.

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