Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 to be tabled in NA today

ISLAMABAD: After approval by the Senate, the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 is set to be tabled in the National Assembly on Monday, and if approved the bill would pave a way for Nawaz Sharif to regain chairmanship of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). In August, following Nawaz disqualification by the Supreme Court, the ECP had informed the PML-N that according to the Political Parties Order 2002, a disqualified MNA cannot hold any position in the party. Senate bill paves way for Nawaz Sharif to regain PML-N chairmanship Amendment suggested by Aitzaz Ahsan was rejected by a margin of one vote Last week, the PML-N managed to amend the Electoral Reforms Bill 2017 in the opposition-controlled Senate in favour of Nawaz's bid to become the party president. The bill will now be tabled in the Lower House of Parliament, where the PML-N holds a majority, on Monday. According to the bill, every citizen will have the right to be a part of a political party, except those in government service, and will also have the right to form a party. It enables the ECP to scrutinise election expenses within 90 days, failing which election expenses submitted by a political party would be deemed to be correct. The bill states that any parliamentarian could only be disqualified for a period of five years and that ECP will be an independent and autonomous body, which will formulate its own law, and party funding details will be available online. ECP issues notice to PML-N for failing to appoint party president The PML-N can be barred from partaking in any electoral activity if it fails to appoint a party chief within the designated time It also restricts the caretaker government from making any policy decisions. Meanwhile, the PML-N has also summoned a meeting of its general council Tuesday to appoint Nawaz as the party's president after his removal from office. Former senator and the party's chief election commissioner, Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal, will apprise the members of schedule for the election of party president. It is quite unlikely for any other PML-N member to file his nomination for post.