ISLAMABAD:
Islamabad’s local government elections have been postponed once again after the President promulgated the Islamabad Local Government Ordinance, introducing a major overhaul of the capital’s municipal government structure.
According to the ordinance, the existing metropolitan corporation system in the federal capital has been abolished and replaced with a new framework of municipal corporations. Islamabad will now be divided into three municipal corporations, aligned with the city’s three National Assembly constituencies.
As per the ordinance, each municipal corporation will consist of various union councils as notified by the federal government. The government will have the authority to amend the boundaries of municipal corporations and union councils after hearing public objections.
However, no changes to the boundaries will be allowed once the electoral calendar is formally announced. The ordinance defines “local government” as comprising union councils and municipal corporations.
In areas where a local government does not function, the government will appoint an administrator. The term “boss” refers to the mayor of a municipal corporation or the president of a union council.
According to the new administrative structure, each municipal corporation will have a mayor and two deputy mayors. The presidents of the union councils will act as general members of their respective municipal corporations.
Additionally, each municipal corporation will include representation through reserved seats, comprising four women, one farmer or worker, one trader or businessman, one youth and one non-Muslim member.
At the union council level, general members will be elected by secret ballot, and the entire union council will be declared a multi-member district. Each voter will have the right to cast one vote for one general member candidate, while nine candidates obtaining the greatest number of votes will be declared elected. Selected candidates may join any political party within 30 days of their election.
The general members of the Union Council will elect the members of the reserved seats by a show of hands. The general members and members with reserved seats will together elect the president and vice president, also by show of hands. Likewise, the president and vice president may join a political party within 30 days of their election.
The president of the union council will automatically act as a general member of the municipal corporation. At the municipal corporation level, the general members will elect the members in the reserved seats by show of hands.
All members of the municipal corporation will jointly elect the mayor and deputy mayors by majority vote. Only one member of the municipal corporation may participate in the elections for mayor or deputy mayor.
