SYA Lower House Elections (Complete Procedure)
Complete Election Procedure
At the end of each session of the Lower House, the General Secretary, on the instructions of the Chairman, will issue a notification to dissolve the Lower House. During this period, the membership process will continue. After the completion of the membership phase, the Council will form an Election Commission under the supervision of the Chief Election Commissioner to conduct separate elections for the Leader of the House, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker of the Lower House. The Election Commission will be responsible for conducting transparent and impartial elections. The Council must complete this entire process within the final month of each session.
Section A: Formation of the Election Commission
After the completion of the membership process, a General Meeting of the Council will be convened. During this meeting, the Chairman and General Secretary will propose names for the Election Commission. The Commission will consist of seven members including the Chief Election Commissioner. Each division must be represented by at least one member, and one woman member must also be included. The Election Commission will be formed based on a majority vote in the General Meeting. If any Council member objects to the neutrality of a proposed Commission member, that member will be replaced. The formation of the Election Commission will be carried out impartially through mutual consultation in the Council’s General Meeting.
Section B: Election Rules (Lower House)
- Elections will be held on a panel basis; however, voting will take place separately for the Leader of the House, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker.
- Every panel must be registered with the State Youth Assembly Election Commission.
- To register a panel, a minimum of 7 members’ support is required (Leader of the House, Speaker, Deputy Speaker, two proposing members, and two seconding members).
- All three divisions of Azad Kashmir must have fair representation in all panels. However, if a panel has more active members from a single division, it may include two candidates from that division. In such a case, the Leader of the House and Deputy Speaker, or the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, may belong to the same division.
- The Leader of the House and the Speaker must belong to different divisions.
- During panel registration, it is mandatory to nominate candidates for Leader of the House, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker. These nominations cannot be changed later.
- A panel may fully withdraw in favor of another panel, or a candidate may withdraw in favor of another panel’s candidate—with the written approval of the panel head (Leader of the House candidate).
- A candidate for Leader of the House must have at least one (1) year of membership in the State Youth Assembly and must not have previously served as Chairman, General Secretary, or Leader of the House.
- Candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker must not have previously held the positions of Leader of the House, General Secretary, or Chairman.
- A maximum of five (5) panels will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Each panel will be assigned one election symbol.
- After registration, the nominated candidates for Leader of the House, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker may begin their election campaigns.
- Panel registrations will be submitted to the Election Commission, which reserves the right to reject any panel not meeting the eligibility criteria.
Section C: Role of the Election Commission
- The Election Commission will supervise the entire voting process and ensure transparency. Only the Election Commission has the authority to accept or reject any vote. It is also responsible for preventing any kind of malpractice or rigging during the elections.
- The Council will provide full support and facilities to the Election Commission for organizing the elections. Whether the voting is conducted online or through polling booths set up by the Council, it is the Council’s responsibility to provide a secure voting system for the Election Commission.
- Initially, the Election Commission will announce the results of the elections for the Leader of the House, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker.
Section D: Election Process and Procedure
The Chief Election Commissioner is responsible for implementing the following structured procedure for the entire election process. The Chairman and General Secretary are obligated to fully assist in this process.
Voting process
- Voting Process Separate votes will be cast for the Leader of the House, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker.The Chief Election Commissioner will announce the results of w
- inning candidates/panels, after which the General Secretary of the State Youth Assembly will issue the official notification.
- Each member must cast their own vote. If any member is found casting a vote on behalf of another, their vote will be cancelled.
- The complete voting procedure will be explained to all voters, and every voter must strictly follow it.
- Voting will be conducted through a secret ballot to ensure confidentiality.
Panel Registration Form Requirements
- Name of the Panel Head (Candidate for Leader of the House)
- Proposed Panel Name
- Three Proposed Election Symbols
Panel Composition Requirements
- Profiles of nominees for Leader of the House, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker (including ID copy and brief CV).
- The candidates for Leader of the House and Speaker must belong to two different divisions of Azad Kashmir. The candidate for Deputy Speaker may belong to any division of Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, or Islamabad.
- The names and complete addresses of the proposing and seconding members must be attached with the form along with copies of their National Identity Cards.
Section E: Election Schedule
The Election Commission is responsible for announcing important election dates and activities. All panel candidates and members (voters) are required to strictly follow the schedule.
1. Last Date for Submission of Forms
The Election Commission will announce the submission deadline. All panels must submit their registration forms by 11:59 PM on the specified date. No forms will be accepted after the deadline.
2. Scrutiny of Applications
The Election Commission will scrutinize all submitted documents the next day. If corrections are required, relevant panel representatives will be informed.
3. List of Panels
The preliminary list of registered panels will be displayed the following day at 12:00 PM.
4. Panel Composition Requirements
Any panel wishing to withdraw a candidate or appeal may do so by 6:00 PM on the specified date.
5. Final List of Panels
The final list of panels will be displayed by 9:00 PM on the specified date.
6. Election Campaign
Campaigning will begin the next day from 8:00 AM and continue until 11:59 PM.
7. Appointment of Polling Agents
Each panel will nominate one candidate as Polling Agent, who must be present at the Election House. Polling Agents will monitor the election process on behalf of their panels with approval from the Chief Election Commissioner.
8. Voting
Voting will begin two days after campaign completion, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The Election Commission may extend voting time by 1–2 hours if required. All members must participate in a disciplined and democratic manner and stay updated about panel responsibilities and timelines. Any inquiries must be submitted to the Chief Election Commissioner through respective Panel Heads.
Section F: Code of Conduct For Voters
- Each vote must include the voter’s name, voter ID, and names of all three candidates (Leader of the House, Speaker, Deputy Speaker).
- Votes must be sent only from the WhatsApp number registered in the official WhatsApp group. Votes sent from any other number will be rejected.
- A vote is a confidential document. Sharing vote screenshots with any candidate is strictly prohibited. If a screenshot reaches the Election Commission, the vote will be rejected and action will be taken against the member.
- Forwarded messages are not acceptable. Each voter must type their vote manually.
- A voter may only send their vote once. Multiple submissions will result in disqualification.
- Editing a vote message after submission will result in cancellation.
- Votes must be sent only during official voting hours (12:00 PM to 6:00 PM). Votes received before or after this time will not be accepted.
- Votes sent to anyone other than the Chief Election Commissioner will be rejected.
- If a voter does not have internet access, they may send a simple text message from a SIM card directly to the Chief Election Commissioner.
- Election symbols must not be included in the vote message.
The Election Commission is responsible for providing a free, fair, and neutral voting environment without any pressure or influence.
Some Visuals of SYA Elections 2025
Here are some visuals of last election conducted by Election Commission of State Youth Assembly.
