Voter list

The Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is trying to defend himself by saying that the Commission hasn't yet received a copy of the Supreme Court's judgment. That's an excuse that legal experts have found lame and devoid of the moral urge to act on a national issue of grave importance. The point is that the EC knows well that its appeal had been rejected and also that the Supreme Court made only minor changes to the verdict delivered by the High Court. So the EC's job is not unknown, nor is there any reason for it not to realise that time is a crucial factor here. Any procrastination in preparing the voter list, as per the court directives, will only deepen the present crisis.

The CEC sounds a bit too loyal to the law when he fails to set about the important task of preparing the voter list on the pretext of not receiving a copy of the SC verdict, despite knowing its contents. But he could not demonstrate the same kind of respect for the law when he had proceeded to prepare the dubious list in violation of court orders. It was his personal agenda which created a great controversy. But what's not at all clear is why the CEC is now wasting time and pushing the country towards some sort of impasse. We are forced to conclude that his dilatory tactic is ill-motivated. This kind of foot dragging by the CEC on this issue will only make the country's murky political scene even murkier.

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The EC, supposed to be a sacrosanct institution, has become the target of adverse criticism, thanks to the voter list scandal. It is a matter of both concern and regret that its credibility is now at the lowest ebb. The CEC has to realise that his prime duty is to accelerate the pace of the whole electoral process, and not slow it down on this or that excuse. A flawless voter list is as much a legal requirement as it is a political one for the sake of democracy. So, there is no alternative to preparing it before the elections according to the Supreme Court directives.

The plain truth must not appear too complex to the CEC.