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Governor approves Gilgit-Baltistan LG Act
ISLAMABAD: Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah has assented to the Gilgit-Baltistan Local Government Act 2014, passed by the legislative assembly unanimously on August 18, 2014.
The select committee notified by the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly drafted the Local Government Act 2014. The select committee was provided technical support in this process by Strengthening Participatory Federalism and Decentralization Project of UNDP-Pakistan and Gilgit-Baltistan Policy Institute.
Gilgit-Baltistan has had the Punjab Local Government Ordinance of 1979 enforced in the region since September 1979. The local governance system implemented in the region is based on two tiers: the District Councils and the Union Councils/Municipal Committees as the lowest tier. The middle tier of Tehsil Council was not notified officially when the Local Government Ordinance of 1979 was extended to the Gilgit-Baltistan.
A participatory and consultative process had been adopted for drafting the local government bill 2014 similar to the Parliamentary Committee for Constitutional Reforms that drafted the 18th Constitutional Amendment. The thirteen-member committee was represented by all political parties having presence in the assembly and conducted consultations with all stakeholders in both Gilgit and Skardu to incorporate their feedback on the draft law. A conscious effort was made by the committee to engage with political parties, representatives of civil society organisations, youth and women, and constitutional experts. It is pertinent to mention that the new local government law is in line with the Charter of Democracy that called for local government elections on party basis.
The local government legislation in Gilgit-Baltistan promises to maximise the benefits of self-governance to the citizens at the lowest tier, introduces local participatory and democratic decision-making processes, encourages women participation in local governments, and ensures effective transfer of power from the regional to the local government. Gilgit-Baltistan government will now work with the Election Commission of Gilgit-Baltistan to map out the process of conducting the local government elections.
Key features of the Gilgit-Baltistan Local Government Act 2014 are: urban and rural areas will be notified wherein local governance structures will be formed comprising of representatives elected through adult franchise basis and indirectly elected members on reserved seats for women and religious minorities.
The local government elections will be held on party basis and under single ward electoral system, which will contribute towards encouraging greater cohesion amongst different religious groups and ensuring sectarian harmony in the region.
The standing committee system has been introduced at the local government level for effective participatory development policy planning, monitoring and implementation.
A local government commission will be set up to ensure a link between the Gilgit-Baltistan government and local government structures. A local council board will be formed to oversee the appointments and other service-related matters of local government employees.
Under the local government service structure, the employees of the local government will be considered as public servants and they will get honoraria, pension, provident funds and other employment related facilities. Two city metropolitan corporations will be established in Gilgit and Skardu districts, headed by a mayor and a deputy mayor.
A Jirga Anjuman will be formed at district council level for out-of-court settlement of disputes. In addition to the reserved seats for women, the law specifically mentions that any local council will not be considered effective and functioning unless the required number of women seats has been filled. At the district level, local councils will undertake performance audits of the line departments and also conduct consultations with stakeholders on annual development plans for ensuring citizens’ feedback in policy-making.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk