ECP proposes dates for 2018 elections

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday sent a summary to President Mamnoon Hussian to select and announce a date from the three proposed dates - July 25, 26 or 27 - for holding 2018 general elections in the country.
The tenure of the present government expires on May 31, 2018 and general elections are constitutionally required to be held within 60 days.
The commencement of process by the ECP for issuance of filing of nomination papers' schedule is contingent on the approval and announcement of the election date by the President.
The ECP Spokesman Altaf Hussian told Business Recorder that a summary was sent to the President, under 57(i) of Election Act wherein three dates were proposed.
"We have requested the President to announce one of the proposed dates of July 25 to 27, for general elections in the country.
We will issue election schedule within seven days after the approval and announcement of election date", he added.
Sources said that apparently there seems no hurdle in the way of holding elections and hopefully transfer of power from one civilian government to another will take place within the constitutionally stipulated timeline.
ECP spokesman said that political parties have already step up their election campaigns with public gatherings and sharing policy plans with the public.
The final list of candidates as well as printing of ballot papers is expected a month before the election date to provide sufficient time for campaigning to candidates while ECP has already notified names of District Returning Officers (DROs), Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) for constituencies of National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies as well as federally administered tribal areas (FATA) and federal capital for the 2018 polls.
The ECP will establish 85,000 polling stations and 785,000 polling booths for the purpose of elections and cameras will be installed in the sensitive polling stations.
The numbers of registered voter is said to have reached 104,267,581 with 58,463,228 men and 45,804,353 women. The ECP has uploaded final list of constituencies after the delimitation of constituencies on its website as well.