Procedure for local body elections in Punjab as per Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021

 Procedure for local body elections in Punjab as per Punjab Local Government Ordinance 2021 

(1) Local body elections will be held on party basis. No candidate can contest elections as an independent.

(2) Local body elections will be held through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

(3) The system of Tehsil Councils, Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees and Town Committees has been abolished and the system of Metropolitan Corporations and District Councils has been introduced.

(4) All the divisional headquarters city of Punjab and Sialkot city and Gujarat city will be metropolitan corporations - except these cities there will be district councils covering all other areas of these districts - however the entire district of Lahore will be metropolitan corporation - metro The head of Lahore Metropolitan Corporation will be called Lord Mayor while the head of other metropolitan corporations will be called City Mayor.

(5) Central Punjab cities Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Gujranwala and Sialkot will be metropolitan corporations while all other areas of these districts (except metropolitan corporations) will be district councils - all other districts of Central Punjab will be fully district councils. Will be the head of the district council will be called the district mayor

(6) A panel of reserved seats for minority councilors, women councilors, youth councilors, farmer or worker councilors, trade councilors and disabled councilors, in addition to the candidates for mayor and deputy mayors nominated by each party for the election of metropolitan corporations and district councils. The party that wins a simple majority will have this full panel succeed - as will the panel of nominees for general councilors from each party. Councilor seats will be available - however there will be a single ballot for all Metropolitan Corporation or District Council seats with only the election symbols of political parties -

(7) The Union Councils have been abolished and the system of Neighborhood Councils and Village Councils has been introduced.

(8) The Election Commission will demarcate the Neighborhood Councils and Village Councils and polling will take place 45 days after the final notification of the demarcation. Will issue -

(9) There will be Neighborhood Councils (NCs) in urban areas and Village Councils (VCs) in rural areas which will be formed on an average population of 20,000 as per Census 2017 - less than 10% margin of population decline. The minimum population will be 18,000 and the maximum population will be 22,000.

(10) Neighborhood councils will be formed on an average population of 15,000 in the Municipal Committees and Town Committees (now defunct) formed by the Punjab Government in 2019 - with a margin of 10% reduction in population. The minimum population will be 13,500 and the maximum population will be 16,500.

(11) In the first phase, there will be elections for Neighborhood Councils (NCs) and Village Councils (VCs).

(12) Candidate for Youth Councilor must be between 18 and 32 years of age.

(13) All other councilor candidates must be at least 21 years of age.

(14) Candidate for Mayor, Deputy Mayor, NC / VC Chairman, Deputy Chairman must be at least 25 years of age.

(15) Candidate for mayor or chairman of NC / VC must have at least intermediate education -

(16) In addition to the nominees for Chairman and Deputy Chairman of each party for the election of Neighborhood Council and Village Council, there shall be a panel of candidates for the reserved seats of a minority councilor, two women councilors, one youth councilor and one farmer or worker councilor. The party that wins a simple majority will have this full panel of candidates - as well as a panel of nominees for general councilors from each party - who will be nominated by the general councilors in proportion to the number of votes received by each party. Will get a share of the total five seats - however there will be one ballot for all seats in the Neighborhood Council or Village Council with only the election symbols of the political parties -

(17) All parties may not nominate candidates less than the number of seats allotted for each category - however, Covering Candidates may be nominated in excess of the total number of seats.

(18) Political parties will be required to submit a list of their nominees by the due date of submission of nomination papers, in which no later change can be made.