Election process starts at SANA

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The election process for the two year term (2015-16) has started in the Sindhi Association of North America (SANA), the social and cultural platform/organization of Sindhi Diasporas living in USA and Canada.

An election commission has already been constituted under the chair of the veteran Khalid Hashmani with Sarfaraz Memon and Hasnain Shaikh have been appointed as its members with Aleem Brohi and Ali Nawaz Memon being chosen as the alternative members/observers. 

In this regard, the SANA's Executive Council met through conference call system while its President, Jamil Daudi, chaired the meeting which reviewed and finalized the decisions and arrangements for the upcoming elections. 

In the meeting, General Secretary, Noorunissa Ghanghro, presented a resolution to congratulate Dr Khalil Memon chairman and all the members of local organizing committee of the 30th SANA Convention held at Chicag,o USA, on their dedicated efforts and the wonderful arrangements to make the annual event a most memorable one for its participants. 

It may be recalled that more than 800 delegates participated in the historic and record-breaking annual gathering of Sindhi Diasporas which included prominent writers, poets, intellectuals, politicians and civil society members from the world over.

The resolution lauded the contribution of spouses and children of all the members of local organization committee who also actively participated in arrangements. The SANA EC, at the demand of some members, reverted its decision to slash membership date from September 15 to August 15.. 

The SANA President, Jamil Daudi, regretted that this reversion will deprive those 350 people who had renewed their membership in Chicago convention in the last couple of days of August. 

“This decision is inevitable in the best interest of the SANA as all the seniors and presidents of past have been taken onboard on this decision”, he added. 

The President and General Secretary hoped that the decision will strengthen diasporas platform and those people will be countered who wanted to create division in this organization. 

The meeting decided to scrutinize the membership claims thoroughly and carefully so that free, fair and transparent elections are ensured. The EC constituted a bye-laws review committee comprising of Khalid Hashmani, Noorunissa Ghanghro, Dr Valeed Shaikh, Khair Muhammad Kolachi and Dr Saghir Shaikh. 

As per election schedule, the nomination forms have already been issued by the chairman election commission with September 15 being the last date submission forms while October 15 is the last date for the withdrawal of candidature. 

The election commission will issue the final list of eligible voters by October 21. Thereafter the voters will be mailed ballots by November 7 with December 17 being the deadline for returning of ballots. The election commission will announce the results by December 20 with the induction of newly elected body due to take place on January 2, 2015.