'Constitution allows ministers to contest local government polls'

Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Justice Abdul Razzaq Thahim (Retd) said the constitution allows sitting ministers to contest local government election.
Talking to Business Recorder, the Senator and former member election commission, however said the ministers are not allowed to use their official position, spend government money, use party flags and any other mean to influence the election.
He welcomed the election commission decision for giving the permission to the ministers of contesting local government election without resigning and termed its inclusion in the code of conduct as positive step.
Thahim said the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had contested the election of National Assembly from Tharparkar (Sindh) without relinquishing the post of finance minister's post and did not use his position to affect the election.
He dismissed the impression that devolution plan has failed in shifting power at grass root level and said that prevailing enthusiasm of ministers in local government elections bore testimony to the fact that power has been transferred to local level in essence.
Abdul Razzaq Thahim said the federal ministers are so much charmed by the authority of a Nazim that a number of them have made up their mind to go for it.
He expressed the hope that the local government elections would be held free and fair and all the candidates would be treated evenly. Former member election commission was of the view that without the help of candidates and masses it would be an uphill task for the election commission to implement the code of conduct.
To a question, the minister who was assigned to conduct the election in Sindh and Balochistan in 1988 claimed that the election were held free and fair and as a result all big guns including the then sitting chief minister and three former prime minister were defeated. "Not a single casualty was reported in 1988 election in Sindh and Balochistan," he claimed.
He hoped that substantial steps would be taken by the election commission to ensure that 28-point code of conduct is effectively implemented.
He appreciated that federal and provincial ministers, ministers of states, advisors, and chairman standing committees have been barred from using official vehicle, party's flag or announcing any development project.
He said the limit on election expenditures between Rs 200,000 to Rs 500.000 for District Nazim, Rs 150,000 to 300,000 for Town Nazim, Rs 100,000 for Union Nazim and Union Naib Nazim and Rs 50,000 for women, labour and farmer councillor was a positive step to gauge the expenditures.