Comments on: Opinions divided over authority to set poll date

By: Barrister Adil Saleem

Barrister Adil Saleem — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 11:26:40 +0000

There is no ambiguity. Article 219 clearly mandates the ECP to organise the general elections. The ECP has been setting the dates for the bye elections so it clearly has and also has exercised the right to fix a date for the elections subject to the time frames given in the constitution.

Secondly, it does not matter if the Provincial Assemblies are dissolved later, the constitution does not bar the ECP to start the election process for the Provinces if the incumbent assemblies are not dissolved as long as the polling is held after the dissolution of such assemblies.

ECP can start can call for the applications even before the national assembly completes its tenure. In fact, the very fact that on sudden dissolution of assemblies, the constitution provides 90 days and 60 in case of the expiry of the term means that the constitution does recognize that more than sixty days are needed to hold elections and envisages that ECP will start the process on such time as it deems fit in order to hold the elections within the time frames of the constitution.

By: farid

farid — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 05:47:04 +0000

is there any thing in this country which is not controversial ?

By: Malick

Malick — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:04:58 +0000

Choudhary Nisar is not acting like a responsible opposition leader, he threat to ECP / CEC, CEC is unable to involve its input to dissolve all five assemblies on one day to hold election one day. It has become necessary to dissolve the assemblies at one day no matter on March 16, OR April 8, 2013. If leaders of house and opposition are unable to finalize the care taker names in time. Military should involve its input not for ten years but this time twenty years. PPP and PMLN both be debarred for ever to take election. These two parties should face exile till Nwaz, Shehbaz and Zardari expired.