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Draft voter list

The EC better act as a team
19 March 2006
• EDITORIAL
EVER since the question of preparing a voter list came up some months back, it has been stalked by all kinds of controversies, many of which, we believe, were avoidable but for the lack of commitment and sincerity on the part of the CEC and his office. As early as on December 6 of last year, the deadline for completion of the field work i.e. enumeration, was set for 31st January with the first list scheduled to be published on February 28. With the deadline overshot, it had to be extended twice, once to 20th February and thence to 20th March. The final list is scheduled to be published on June 1. The district level registration authorities are now reportedly saying that there is no way they could meet even this deadline.

Apparently, the entire team of enumerators, supervisors and assistant registration officers began working on the project across the country since January 31 of this year. We simply fail to understand as to how a matter of such cardinal importance is being handled so poorly!

An authentic voter list is the key instrument for ensuring a free, fair and credible election. It is imperative that the voter list be a comprehensive one based on facts on the ground without any manipulation whatsoever spoiling it. People's confidence in a voter list is synonymous with public trust in the electoral process. A flawed voter list can lead to poor voter turn-out.

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The office of the CEC, responsible for preparing the voter list along with conducting the national elections, to say the least, is in total disarray. The EC has failed to work as a team under the present CEC. Unless it is set right, the process of electoral preparations cannot be streamlined; for, if the head rots the entire body is crippled.

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