11-29-2005, 08:50 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>EC's next battle </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
That democracy has prevailed in Bihar at the end of a bitter year of discord is more important than who won or lost after two rounds of elections and an interregnum marked by anarchy. The Election Commission deserves to be commended for preserving the Constitution's fundamental commitment to people's power.
The role played by the special election observer, Mr KJ Rao, must go down as one of the most glorious chapters in any democracy's struggle to assert the power of the ballot over forces of autocracy. But, in the long war against anti-democratic elements, Bihar was just a minor battle.
<b>A far bigger one lies six months later, when West Bengal goes to poll. Reports indicate that the morale of democratic forces in that State has been considerably bolstered by Mr Rao's success in ensuring free and fair election in Bihar. </b>
As this paper has asserted on various occasions over the past year, democracy is in serious trouble in the Marxist-ruled State. The "secret" behind the Left Front's unbroken stint in power since 1977 is out: Massive vote fraud marked by terrorisation of the electorate and manipulation of the voters' list.
To its credit, the Election Commission has already set the ball rolling by rejecting the panel of bureaucrats to fill the slot for the State's Chief Electoral Officer and choosing, instead, an official with an exemplary track record. <b>Meanwhile, a revision of the voters' list is underway in West Bengal and the last date for the conclusion of the exercise has already been extended twice</b>.
However, the distortions that are only to be expected in a State where the entire administration and police is politicised, are beginning to manifest themselves again. The Election Commission must take stock of these developments because "rigging at source" is a classic Marxist gameplan which decides the outcome of an election well before the D-Day.
It should make it abundantly clear to the Kolkata regime that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring the preservation of people's power - even if it means taking unprecedented steps like bringing in external officials, holding elections under President's rule and countermanding elections for entire constituencies if even one case of vote fraud is detected.
The Election Commission is one of the last Indian institutions left with a semblance of credibility. The people would like it to develop further. Indeed, it should immediately take steps to prevent freebooters from romping home. For instance, there is nothing to ensure that the agents of contending parties are not ejected from booths by musclemen of dominant parties. Then, the issue of reaching voter identity cards to all stakeholders in Indian democracy, too, is yet to be addressed.
The Election Commission must focus on these lacunae immediately instead of proposing "reforms" like banning history-sheeters from the electoral fray or forcing parties to maintain fiscal discipline. It should leave this to other institutions of the state. For, there are far too many mice to catch, and there is not enough time.
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The Pioneer Edit Desk
That democracy has prevailed in Bihar at the end of a bitter year of discord is more important than who won or lost after two rounds of elections and an interregnum marked by anarchy. The Election Commission deserves to be commended for preserving the Constitution's fundamental commitment to people's power.
The role played by the special election observer, Mr KJ Rao, must go down as one of the most glorious chapters in any democracy's struggle to assert the power of the ballot over forces of autocracy. But, in the long war against anti-democratic elements, Bihar was just a minor battle.
<b>A far bigger one lies six months later, when West Bengal goes to poll. Reports indicate that the morale of democratic forces in that State has been considerably bolstered by Mr Rao's success in ensuring free and fair election in Bihar. </b>
As this paper has asserted on various occasions over the past year, democracy is in serious trouble in the Marxist-ruled State. The "secret" behind the Left Front's unbroken stint in power since 1977 is out: Massive vote fraud marked by terrorisation of the electorate and manipulation of the voters' list.
To its credit, the Election Commission has already set the ball rolling by rejecting the panel of bureaucrats to fill the slot for the State's Chief Electoral Officer and choosing, instead, an official with an exemplary track record. <b>Meanwhile, a revision of the voters' list is underway in West Bengal and the last date for the conclusion of the exercise has already been extended twice</b>.
However, the distortions that are only to be expected in a State where the entire administration and police is politicised, are beginning to manifest themselves again. The Election Commission must take stock of these developments because "rigging at source" is a classic Marxist gameplan which decides the outcome of an election well before the D-Day.
It should make it abundantly clear to the Kolkata regime that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring the preservation of people's power - even if it means taking unprecedented steps like bringing in external officials, holding elections under President's rule and countermanding elections for entire constituencies if even one case of vote fraud is detected.
The Election Commission is one of the last Indian institutions left with a semblance of credibility. The people would like it to develop further. Indeed, it should immediately take steps to prevent freebooters from romping home. For instance, there is nothing to ensure that the agents of contending parties are not ejected from booths by musclemen of dominant parties. Then, the issue of reaching voter identity cards to all stakeholders in Indian democracy, too, is yet to be addressed.
The Election Commission must focus on these lacunae immediately instead of proposing "reforms" like banning history-sheeters from the electoral fray or forcing parties to maintain fiscal discipline. It should leave this to other institutions of the state. For, there are far too many mice to catch, and there is not enough time.
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