AJK elections can be held between May 23 and July 8, says election commission

By Tariq Naqash

MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 10: The general election to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly can be held anytime between May 23 and July 8 and the AJK Election Commission says it will be all set to announce the schedule for the polls after April 15.

According to section 22 (4) of the AJK’s Interim Constitution Act 1974, “general election to the Assembly shall be held within a period of sixty days immediately preceding the day on which the term of the Assembly is due to expire, unless the Assembly has been sooner dissolved, and the result of the election shall be declared not later than fourteen days before that day.”

Since the sitting assembly was installed on July 23, 2006, general election can be conducted at any day between May 23 and July 8, 2011 and the only way to hold the exercise prior to May 23 is premature dissolution of the assembly by the prime minister. In the event of assembly dissolution, general election shall be held within a period of ninety days after the dissolution and the result of the election shall be declared not later than fourteen days after the conclusion of polls.”

However, there was no provision to drag the holding of polls beyond July 8 because election result had to be declared not later than 14 days before the completion of sitting assembly’s 5 year term on July 22.

“We are finalizing arrangements for the polls and as the new voter lists will be ready by the end of March I can safely say that at anytime after April 15 we will be all set to announce the schedule,” Chief Election Commissioner Khawaja Muhammad Saeed told this correspondent.

He said it was EC’s prerogative to announce the date of polls between May 23 and July 8, but, nevertheless, he would make a decision in this regard in consultation with all political parties.

The ruling Muslim Conference had been maintaining ambiguity over its plans and desire for the election date but the two major opposition parties were unequivocally in favour of last week of May for holding of polls.

“The last week of May is an ideal time for election because the temperature during that period is neither too hot nor too cold,” said Raja Farooq Haider, chief organizer of PML-N in AJK.

“We support this date also because it should be the right of the next government to prepare next fiscal year’s budget according to its manifesto. And that can happen only if the general election is held on May 25,” he said.

Leader of the opposition in AJK Assembly and Peoples Party AJK president Chaudhry Abdul Majeed echoed Mr Haider’s views, saying his party also wanted the polls to be held on May 25.

“We will formally ask the Election Commission to consider this date.”

When this correspondent asked Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan as to when the election should be held, he did not give a clear reply.

“Either it can be held in the last week of May or the last week of June,” he said.

When told that the opposition termed the last week of May climatically ideal for polls, he tersely responded: “Ideal weather is either in April or in September.”

However, Mr Haider made it clear that election date could not be taken beyond July 8 and accused the prime minister of creating confusion and ambiguity to “gain political mileage.”

It may be mentioned here that around 2.8 million voters have been registered to elect their representatives in 41 assembly constituencies, 29 of which are located in AJK territory and the rest in the four provinces of Pakistan.

Ends