Senate polls: ECP asks candidates to end campaigns by midnight March 1-2

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has asked the political parties and candidates contesting Senate polls to end their respective election campaigns by midnight falling between March 1-2 "so that the poll is held in an orderly and peaceful manner" on March 3.

In this context, the ECP has drawn the attention of political parties to Section 182 of the Elections Act 2017.

"Prohibition of public meetings during certain period -No person shall convene, hold or attend any public meeting, or promote or join in any procession, within the area of a constituency or, in the case of the Senate election, a province, during a period of forty-eight hours ending at midnight following the conclusion of the poll for any election in that constituency or province," this Section reads.

Violation of Section 182 is punishable under Section 183 of Elections Act 2017. "Penalty for illegal practice -A person guilty of the offence of illegal practice shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees or with both," Section 183 reads.

Earlier on Thursday, the ECP issued a Code of Conduct for Senate polls after consulting political parties. The Code of Conduct bars the President and provincial governors from taking part in Senate election campaign "in any manner whatsoever."

The Code of Conduct also requires from every candidate contesting the Senate polls to open an "exclusive bank account" and maintain a register of receipts and expenditure related to Senate elections. The Code of Conduct bars the candidates from making any kind of transaction related to elections expenses from any bank account except the account opened for this purpose. The limit for Senate election expenditure for each candidate is 1.5 million rupees.

Section 132 of Elections Act 2017 provides that the election expenses of a candidate shall include the expenses incurred by any person or a political party on behalf of the candidate or incurred by a political party specifically for the candidate.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021