Parting words of the retirees

In retrospect, we find that the entire deadlock between the CEC and the retiring commissioners which continued for months was born out of a point of difference relating to the process of preparation of the voter list, a matter which could have been resolved easily given the will and sincere effort on the part of the CEC himself. The High Court in a directive suggested that the voter list be revised based on the previous electoral roll rather than be prepared afresh. In other words this vindicated the views of the commissioners. But the CEC who took the opposite view stuck to his original plan for a new voter list which has bred complications into the whole process.

We remain concerned as to whether our Election Commission will ever be able to actually produce a credible voter list within the time at its disposal.

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The moral of the whole episode is that the Election Commission is constitutionally mandated to work as a team as distinguished from what has degenerated into a one-man show under the leadership of the present CEC. There is no doubt in any one's mind that the credibility of the EC is at the lowest ebb ever and public confidence in its capacity to hold free and fair election is under a serious question mark.