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From: "RONALD REBELLO" <mail@aidsalternativa.org> Date: Fri Apr 12, 2002 9:27pm Subject: Letter to CEC To the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners The Election Commission of India Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi Dear Sirs : Mr. Soli Sorabjee, Attorney General, has clearly said that the EC may invoke article 324 of the Constitution of India to ban the Opinion and Exit Polls. Please therefore do it forthwith. Sorabjee, however, is NOT right when he contends that it will affect the Freedom of Expression and the Right to Information. Manipulated opinion polls and exit polls, on the contrary adversely affect public opinion and, therefore, are more dangerous to the health of fledgeling democracy like ours. Already many voters are talking that since BJP/NDA is once again going to rule according to these opinion polls, why vote for other parties and waste our vote. As a result even good candidates like Sunil Dutt may lose in Mumbai this time. And if you cannot ban Opinion and Exit Polls because of orchestrated cacophony of business lobby which wants to give NDA, which has looted the nation to the tune of Rs.1,60,000 crores, another chance, then you have no business to make a mess of democratic elections by imposing EVMs in hurry, by interfering in day-to-day functioning of the Govt. by stopping cabinets from performing their duties etc. If you really wish to create a level playing field, work on the following suggestions : (a) General elections should be held under President's rule and state elections under Governor's rule. Three months before the proposed elections the elected representatives should be removed from the power. If in-service Govt. servant has to resign before filing nomination papers, the same rule must apply to the Cabinet. (b) Affidavits only from the Contesting Candidates are discriminatory and also affect candidate's right to privacy. In no way they give the correct picture of their wealth or it cannot stop criminals from contesting because in a civilised society, one person cannot be sentenced twice for the same offence. Instead, the free flow of black money in elections through business houses, betting syndicates should stop. That is not happening. Your so-called EC observers are useless. They enjoy their holidays and the cameras do not capture the excesses of big candidates or the election officers who are partisan. (c) Change Form VII-A, see Rule 10(1) as suggested in my letter dated 6th March, 1995 to the then CEC T.N.Seshan and published in my booklet Work For Change. You should be having both these documents on your files. If not, I am ready to send you my booklet Work For Change which contains that letter to CEC as also my other far-reaching suggestions, again. (d) By all means introduce EVMs in phased manner, but without paper proof, auditing, there won't be accountability in voting and like opinion polls which are manipulated these EVMs too would be subject to mischief by the ruling party. American democracy, where persons like George Bush get selected inspite of shortage of half-a-million votes, may then be elected even in India. (e) Instead of ONLY consulting recognised and registered political parties, you must also invite registered citizens organisations like ours (All India Voters Panchayat or All India Letter Writers Association) because we do not have an axe to grind and we think beyond the perimeter of business, corrupt practices and dynastic rule. For us the nation is not a private limited company. Please acknowledge receipt and after the elections are over let us sit together to bring about fundamental changes in our elections to make them more democratic rather than elections in a pol pot regime. Yours truly, Dr. Leo Rebello Vice President, All India Voters Panchayat (20 years old registered society). President, All India Letter-Writers Association (24 years old registered society) Limca Book World Record Holding Association of Conscience Keepers of the Nation. We are NOT superficial organisations like Lok Satta or AGNI making so much useless noise using capitalists media like the Times of India, to keep the status quo ante deluvian. Address for Correspondence : 28/552 Samata Nagar, Kandivali East, Bombay 400101. Telefax : (022) 28872741 Email : leorebello@v... leorebello@h... Website : www.aidsalternativa.org ----------------------------------------------------------- * The contents of the article are the ideas of the contributor. |
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| << April09, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]In dry Gujarat, minister's family sips alcohol scam |
April14, 2004 - [India Thinkers Net]AIDS Out Of Control In India >> |
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