New Delhi
2 August 2007
India is ready and willing to help the countries in her
neighbourhood and beyond with training, management and conduct of elections, Chief
Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami said.
He, however, insists that the Election Commission of India would not venture to share its
expertise with their counterparts elsewhere unless the stakeholders in those countries
make an express desire to seek external assistance.
Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Bangladesh are all expected to go to polls over the next
year and a half. The Constituent Assembly election is likely to be held in Nepal on
November 22 this year. It will pave the way for framing of a new Constitution and
deciding the fate of the 238-year-old monarchy.
"We are willing but it (request) should come from the stakeholders," Mr Gopalaswami on
Thursday told this newspaper on the sidelines of his lecture, on "An Alert, Impartial and
Effective Election Commission - An Indispensable Pillar for Democracy", to Indian
Foreign Service probationers and foreign diplomats at the Foreign Service Institute.
Referring to the "image problem" India has by virtue of its size as compared to her
smaller neighbours, he said: "[We will go] only when [we are] asked for help. We do not
want to be seen as pushing any agenda."
India, he pointed out, became involved in Bhutan only after that country suggested India
to become associated with preparation of electoral roll and framing of laws. Bhutan has
since decided to purchase electronic voting machines (EVMs) from India.
Mr Gopalaswami said that the National Citizen Identity Card, which will come equipped
with a unique number for life, and the Photo Electoral Roll would go a long way towards
avoiding duplication of voters and bogus voting, and making elections that much more
fairer.
He felt that the identity card with unique number will ensure better possibility of cleaning
up the electoral roll. "But," he hastened to add, "I am not sure whether it will be possible
by the 2009 parliamentary election."
Mr Gopalaswami said that the Election Commission was going to replace the 15-year-old
EVMs with new machines. Some new features will be incorporated in the new EVMs, like
a memory card that will store data for five years.
He said: "We want to keep record for five years so that if anyone has any doubt, they
can go to a court of law and ask for the record." He clarified that the data will be shared
only if the court so instructs.
In another move, the Election Commission was ascertaining the views of the political
parties for connecting 20 or more EVMs at the time of counting of votes. Connecting
EVMs will be similar to mixing of paper ballots so that it becomes difficult for candidates
and political parties to know how many voted for them and at which polling stations.
"[This is to] not reveal the identity of polling station and to protect vulnerable sections.
We are in talks with the parties," he said.
Mr Gopalaswami asserted that vulnerability mapping, assessment of missing voters and
ensuring male-female ratio in electoral roll (taking the census as reference) in order to
avoid bogus voting would be ensured in all subsequent elections.
He was not sure if the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies would be completed
and adopted by the 2009 election. he said: "That is a million dollar question. I do not
know whether it will happen by the 2009 election. The decision has to be taken by the
government of the day."
Mr Gopalaswami emphasised that introduction of EVMs had obviated the need for paper
ballots. The use of about eight thousand tonnes of paper has been spared because of
the EVMs, he observed. He added that the Election Commission was not particularly
keen on outsourcing. "At the moment not [we are not] handing it over to any outside
agency," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment