Sindh withdraws 'secret ballot' condition for Mayor's election

KARACHI: The Government of Sindh has amended ‘secret ballot’ clause in a new draft of the local government law, ARY News reported on Saturday.

ARY News has received fresh draft of the local council’s law, in which the condition of secret ballot for the Mayor’s election has been amended. The chairman of the local council will now be elected with the ‘show of hand.’

The provincial government has withdrawn secret ballot condition in the new draft of the law.

The government, however, has decided to keep the town system unchanged in the local government system of Sindh.

Towns system is being reintroduced in the municipal system and different towns will be carved out in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpur Khas and Benazirabad cities.

Moreover, the function of the registration of births and deaths being returned back to the local councils in the law.

Governor Sindh Imran Ismail has recently rejected the Sindh Local Government (amendment) bill 2021 and returned it to the Sindh Assembly for re-consideration while raising objections.

He pointed out that the elimination of the district municipal corporations (DMCs) and replacing them with the town system would create an administrative void.

He had also objected over the secret balloting for the election of mayor, saying it could lead to horse-trading in the process.