Report in The Nation, November 25, 2014
SANGLA HILL: The Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly is going to complete its five-year term on December 12 and may get its first Chief Election Commissioner soon as a summary has been sent to the Prime Minister by ministry of Kashmir Affairs, disclosed Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Barjees Tahir here the other day.
The minister said that the G-B Governor had sent a summary to the ministry, seeking the appointment of a Provincial Election Commissioner. “We have already forwarded the summary to the Prime Minister, who is the competent authority to appoint the Election Commissioner,” said Barjees. He claimed that new EC was likely to be appointed in the next week.
Barjees said that the Chief Election Commissioner appointment would be a step forwards GB election as according to him, the voter list had already been prepared.
Under the Gilgit-Baltistan Empowerment and Self Rule Order, there is no provision for forming a caretaker setup in the area to hold fresh elections. The minister, however, said that the federal government would look into the recommendations of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly as to whether “amend the 2009 order or follow the tradition of the federal and provinces by forming a caretaker setup.”
“The prime minister is competent authority to amend the Order 2009 and if the regional government wants any amendment, we will welcome it,” said the minister.
“We want to shift this amendment power from the federal government in future and empower the local leadership to amend rules according to their needs.”
Barjees said that the caretaker government was supposed to be formed by the GB Chief Minister and the opposition leader in line with the practice followed by the federation and provinces. http://nation.com.pk/national/25-Nov-2014/summary-to-appoint-gb-election-commissioner-lying-with-pm-barjees
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