Delay in Local Government Elections Sparks Strong Reaction from National Party

**Quetta (Qudrat Daily):** The National Party has strongly reacted to the postponement of local government elections in Quetta, stating that the delay reflects the panic and political failure of ruling parties in the face of growing public support for opposition forces.

In a statement, the central spokesperson of the National Party said that local government elections are the basic unit of democracy and a clear symbol of grassroots representation, but unfortunately, continuous obstacles are being created to derail this crucial democratic process.

The spokesperson said that due to the National Party’s strong public mobilization, extensive contact campaign and increasing popularity, more than 20 of its candidates were elected unopposed in the Quetta local government elections, which clearly demonstrated the party’s strong support among the people of the city.

According to the statement, ruling parties had already been rejected by the people of Quetta at an early stage, to the extent that they failed to find candidates even willing to take party tickets. Overall, the ruling parties were able to nominate only 122 candidates, highlighting what the National Party termed their clear political failure.

The spokesperson further alleged that some political parties were “playing on both sides of the wicket,” publicly claiming to support the holding of elections while simultaneously filing petitions to obstruct the process, calling this approach misleading and detrimental to democratic norms.

He said that due to the absence of local government elections in Quetta since 2018, civic issues have worsened significantly, with shortages of water, poor sanitation, damaged roads and lack of other basic facilities making life difficult for residents.

The statement added that when the local government elections were announced, the public showed unprecedented enthusiasm. However, this growing public interest and participation reportedly caused panic among the ruling parties, leading to the postponement of the elections.

The National Party reaffirmed that it considers the local government system and timely local elections as the foundation of democracy and declared their effective and prompt implementation essential for political stability and the strengthening of democratic processes.