Loan defaulters in election

The ambiguity in the activities of the Election Commission and the conspicuous lack of will to reflect people's wishes fail to instill even a semblance of confidence in the minds of the voters. The EC remains hell-bent on holding the next parliamentary elections within the given timeframe though the fundamental instrument, the voter list, remains flawed on many counts. To add insult to injury, the highest court of the country has served a stay order on the civil society movement for disclosure of a personal fact-sheet of the candidates who wish to contest the elections.

The court order has been viewed by the participants in the seminar as tantamount to snatching away people's right to having information on the candidates. Understandably, it was difficult for them to comprehend the raison d'être behind such a stay order since the intents of the movement was to discourage owners of black money, thieves, looters, murderers and obscurantist elements from contesting in the coming elections. We understand it was rather intended to help bring to the forefront honest and deserving candidates in their place.

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Notwithstanding their merit and hidden potentials to bring about positive changes in the mindset of the voters, and despite widespread consensus among the members of the public, the recommendations of the Nagorik Committee have veritably fallen on deaf ears of the Election Commission. Now, no matter what the saner section in society feels, many unqualified and unscrupulous elements will contest the next elections and get elected to parliament. If these people come to power and instead of delivering they cause irreparable damage to the country, the blame would squarely go to the Election Commission of the day. Therefore, we feel that those in charge at the EC should work with the interest of the country in their mind and nothing else.