The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday directed the Punjab authorities to amend the Local Government Act 2022 and related guidelines concerning the use of digital vote casting machines (EVMs) and internet balloting.
The ECP met here with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in the chair. The assembly, attended by all the ECP members, the special secretary and other senior officers, mentioned the topics relating the local elections in Punjab and Islamabad.
The meeting become knowledgeable that the procedure of registration of electoral corporations in Punjab could be completed by July 17. Officials said that the ECP had completed polling arrangements.
However, it turned into talked about that the usage of electronic balloting machines (EVMs) and the net vote casting (i-balloting) in the elections was unworkable. Officials stated that the ECP had written several times to provincial government that the EVMs use became no longer viable.Under Section forty seven(1) of the Punjab Local Government Act 2022, the neighborhood authorities elections could be held on EVMs and the citizens can even have the ability of i-vote casting. The ECP said it could not offer the i-balloting facility.
The Punjab government has amended the Rules 35(four) of the neighborhood government to allow the balloting as in step with the Election Act 2017. The ECP said that the Local Government Act additionally needed amendments in order that it did now not come into warfare with the policies.
The ECP told for writing to the Punjab authorities to make the essential amendments to the act in view of the federal government’s amendments to the sections 103 and ninety four of the Election Act 2017 regarding EVMs and that i-voting.
The ECP stated that the neighborhood authorities elections in Punjab have been concern to the change of the Local Government Act 2022 and Rules. It asked Punjab to make the amendments as quickly as possible to make certain the instantaneous neighborhood elections inside the province.
The indoors ministry turned into told to offer regulations on reserved seats and election costs for federal capital’s local authorities elections by means of July 12
The assembly became knowledgeable that the ECP was fully organized to behavior the neighborhood authorities elections in Islamabad in mild of the order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) but it had now not but received positive notification from the indoors ministry.
The CEC ordered for writing a letter to the interior ministry, looking for the notification of the range of reserved seats and the election expenditure restriction policies for the candidates through July 12.