The Punjab government will change the law on the use of EVMs in LG surveys

The Punjab government will change the law on the use of EVMs in LG surveys

• Opposition rejects proposal without consultation
• ECP gives one week to table amendments

LAHORE: The Punjab government has announced its plans to introduce electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the upcoming local elections as the federal government has already passed laws making the use of the machines compulsory in all upcoming elections, while the government also managed to dispel the reservations of its ally PML-Q regarding the Punjab Local Government (Amendment) Act (PLGA) 2021.

How can Punjab deviate from the law since the federal government has mandated that all upcoming elections, including by-elections, be held through the EVMs? one senior government official wondered when he spoke to Dawn on Wednesday.

The Punjab government now seriously wants the clause on the use of EVMs in all upcoming elections to be included in the PLGA 2021, which is currently in the finalization phase, the official added.

The federal government has already asked the Pakistani Electoral Commission (ECP) to hold all next elections, including by-elections, through the EVMs. Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had also indicated that the government would not fund the commission if it did not conduct the surveys through the EVMs.

The commission has meanwhile asked the government of Punjab to present the draft of the amended PLGA 2021 in a week, otherwise, the LG polls would take place according to the law in vogue. The EKP is planning a new delimitation of the constituencies in accordance with the amended manuscript of the law, otherwise, it will be forced to hold elections according to the old delimitation of the LG constituencies, said an EKP official.

The opposition parties, however, vehemently opposed the Punjab government's plans to tear down the all-important law. They claim that PLGA 2021 will be approved in an undemocratic manner as no stakeholders have been consulted.

Even the PTIs' ally, PML-Q, had previously objected, and their minister, Muhammad Rizwan, had left the cabinet meeting in Punjab after expressing displeasure about his party not being consulted.

With the governor of Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar currently out of the country and the spokesman for the Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Parvez Elahi holding the office of governor, he requested a briefing on the proposed changes to PLGA 2021.

Mr.Elahi, who is also the president of PML-Qs Punjab, had requested that the Tehsil councils become part of the local system of government, apart from setting the qualification requirements for mayors and district council chairs.

The Punjab government jumped up to control the damage. The Prime Minister met with the Ministers of State Law and Local Government and the Secretary of Local Government to review the law and the objections raised by the PML-Q. The CM was directed to continue consultations with the PML-Q and address their objections, adding that the new LG law was drafted with consultation and hard work to strengthen the grassroots.

Sources alleged that an official delegation from the Punjab government met Mr. Elahi again and convinced him that the Tehsil councils could not be incorporated into the law. In response to the objection that at least intermediate training should be required for the mayor and the district council chairman, the delegation informed the incumbent governor that the qualification bar could not be included as there was no such requirement for MPAs and MNAs.

Mr.Elahi agreed with the government's statement but said the word regarding qualifications should be given preference in law, alleged a government official who was part of the delegation.

In response to the proposed legislative changes, PML-N Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari said the PTI government had not bothered to consult opposition parties in preparing the all-important law. The government passes laws through special committees, while no discussion is allowed in the Punjab Assembly.

Regarding the plans of the Punjab governments to make the use of EVMs compulsory in the next elections, Ms. Bukhari said: Who decides how elections should be held? This is the only mandate of the ECP.

The chairman of the PPPs, Hasan Murtaza, said the PTI government has always made bad laws without consulting stakeholders. It was a tragedy that the PTI government was trying to enact an ordinance when the Punjab Assembly was enacting laws there, he noted.

Mr.Murtaza said the ruling party should get all parliamentary parties on board and dispel their reservations. It is strange that the PTI government does not attach importance to 50 percent of lawmakers in the Punjab assembly, he said.

Whe nasked about the use of EVMs, he replied that the chairman of the PPP, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, had already rejected the government's plan and tried to threaten and put pressure on the ECP. The PTI government wants to repeat the history of the Results Transmission System and is looking for an extension through the use of EVMs, he claimed.

On the other hand, PML-Q Punjab Information Minister Mian Imran Masood said her party had accepted the government's proposal to use EVMs in elections after negotiating with the ruling PTI after the joint session of parliament due to reservations the government-allied parties.

The PTI government had dissolved the local bodies constituted as part of the PLGA 2013 by proclaiming the PLGA 2019 in May 2019 shortly after it came to power. It had appointed LG administrators about 30 months prior to the end of the term of office of LG representatives, mostly from the PML-N.

However, Usman Buzdar's government reluctantly restored local government in the province in October to comply with a Supreme Court order. The term of office of the existing local governments ends on December 31st.