AS per a decision of the Punjab cabinet, municipal corporations and zila councils are to be reintroduced in the province, rolling back the Pervez Musharraf-era local government system. However, no clear date has been announced for the holding of LG polls, while the provincial assembly also has to decide whether or not to hold the elections on a party basis. These matters should be settled soon, for Punjab — and the rest of the country, for that matter — has been without an elected third tier of administration for several years. The debate over the merits of the Musharraf system versus the old system virtually froze all progress on the matter. It is ironic that local polls are held regularly under autocratic regimes, while democratic governments dither on the matter. The main parties fear losing ground — especially as general elections loom — at the local level, and thus the lack of interest in conducting local bodies’ elections. Regardless of political parties’ concerns, though, the fact remains that people require representation at the local level. It makes no sense for citizens to have to track down members of the provincial or national assemblies to solve civic and other issues. It is also true that politicians are more responsive to people’s needs as compared to bureaucrats, as they have to return to the people to get re-elected.

It is thus a welcome sign that Punjab has taken the matter forward. Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should also take the relevant steps so that a definite schedule for local polls can be announced. Also, lawmakers should ensure that new legislation is so designed that each incoming administration cannot simply undo the whole system. If changes need to be made to the respective local government laws, they should be based on genuine issues and not whims. And while the security situation in Balochistan may not at this time be conducive to holding local polls, even in that province local governments cannot be put on hold indefinitely. Further, some thought needs to be expended on the value of holding polls on a party basis, as holding non-party polls denies the reality of political parties’ influence at the local level.