ISLAMABAD: Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sultan Sikandar Raja on Wednesday said a recent amendment to the Clause 57 of Election Act meant that giving election date was the sole prerogative of the ECP as he responded to the letter sent by President Arif Alvi. 

According to the ECP [Election Commission of Pakistan] spokesperson, the CEC had sent a written response to the president, in which it mentioned that he [Raja] won’t meet him to discuss the election date issue. 

The letter says the last National Assembly was dissolved under Article 58 (1) [just days before the completion of its tenure] on the advice of prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif]. Had the president dissolved the legislature after it completed the five-year term, he would have enjoyed the power to announce election date under Article 58 (2) which wasn’t the case, it added. 

Moreover, the CEC also noted in the letter that the process to carry out delimitation had started on the basis of new census.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Raja had decided not to meet Alvi after he received a detailed briefing on the issue by legal experts who said consulting the president wasn’t required after the amendment introduced by the coalition government before leaving the office.

The latest controversy was triggered by Alvi on Wednesday by inviting Raja for a meeting to fix a date for elections – a move that raised many eyebrows as the electoral body has now been empowered to decide the matter without having to consult the president.

Alvi quoted Article 244 of the Constitution, saying he was duty-bound to get the elections conducted in the 90-day period once the National Assembly was dissolved prematurely. He also cited Article 48 (5) to argue his case.