ISLAMABAD – Polling for the first ever local government (LG) elections in the federal capital is currently underway. In the first phase of polls in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), voters will directly elect 600 representatives – 12 from each UC – while the second phase will see the elected representatives form a 66-member MC. The MC will consist of 50 elected chairmen from all UCs, as well as another 16 members, whom all the chairmen will elect directly. The MC will be headed by a mayor and three deputy mayors, who will be chosen from among the 600 elected representatives. Islamabad has an estimated population of 1.8 million but only 680,000 voters (38 per cent) for its 50 union councils. A total of 640 polling stations – 261 for men, 256 for women and 123 combined – have been set up across the ICT, with a total of 2,156 polling booths. As many as 640 presiding officers and 6,468 assistant presiding officers will oversee the electoral process. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), some 2,396 candidates will be on the ballot, competing for various positions. Though it is a party-based election, independent candidates are in the majority. The district administration has made ample security arrangements to maintain order during the elections: a battalion of the Pakistan Army, 650 paramilitary Rangers and around 8,000 police officials are performing security duties on the election day.