05-31-2009, 12:31 AM
<b>Large Scale Reshuffle of Officials Before Elections</b>
<img src='http://www.keralamonitor.com/gifs/evmvoting.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Immediately before the election, the ECO decided to reshuffle the senior government officials controlling election process in each state and union territories. S K Rudola, Secretary, ECI convened a meeting of all the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police in each state and union territories to review election preparedness and security arrangements for the polls.
"The Commission directed that no efforts should be spared to conduct free and fair elections. The Commission directed the States and Union Territories to ensure that all officials who have been posted at one place for more than 3 years in the last 4 years, or those who are posted in their home districts, should be immediately transferred out, and compliance report sent by 28th February, 2009," said a press statement issued by the Secretary on February 5, 2009. (Navin Chawla, Chief Election Commissioner --right N Gopalaswami -shunted out of ECI in the middle of electioneering)
The Commission also directed that all critical posts from the point of view of conduct of elections be filled up on priority basis by 20th February, 2009. Was it only to ensure "free and fair elections" that massive transfers and reshuffles exercise just before the election? Along with a change at the top level in ECI, there was a total reshuffle of the election machinery in the months before the polls. In addition, part of the crucial election related IT work was outsourced and temporary computer programmers were selected to write. To strengthen its IT set up, the commission has appointed several temporary computer programmers "to write code for .NET framework and Oracle/SQL server for software designed for ECI. The use of digital signature certificates for government officials.
The counting of electronic voting was conducted in such a manner to hide booth wise voting pattern, ostensibly to prevent post-election "intimidation and victimization" of voters. What is the big danger if the booth wise voting pattern is known? First election in India using EVMs throughout the country had extensive security measures in place for EVMs -leaving the key with government officials. ""Keys of the EVM strong room should be in safe custody with the RO/DEO. The candidates should be allowed to put their own seal on the strong room". "A control room is opened in the premises from where watch may be kept on the strong room security".
<img src='http://www.keralamonitor.com/gifs/evmvoting.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Immediately before the election, the ECO decided to reshuffle the senior government officials controlling election process in each state and union territories. S K Rudola, Secretary, ECI convened a meeting of all the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police in each state and union territories to review election preparedness and security arrangements for the polls.
"The Commission directed that no efforts should be spared to conduct free and fair elections. The Commission directed the States and Union Territories to ensure that all officials who have been posted at one place for more than 3 years in the last 4 years, or those who are posted in their home districts, should be immediately transferred out, and compliance report sent by 28th February, 2009," said a press statement issued by the Secretary on February 5, 2009. (Navin Chawla, Chief Election Commissioner --right N Gopalaswami -shunted out of ECI in the middle of electioneering)
The Commission also directed that all critical posts from the point of view of conduct of elections be filled up on priority basis by 20th February, 2009. Was it only to ensure "free and fair elections" that massive transfers and reshuffles exercise just before the election? Along with a change at the top level in ECI, there was a total reshuffle of the election machinery in the months before the polls. In addition, part of the crucial election related IT work was outsourced and temporary computer programmers were selected to write. To strengthen its IT set up, the commission has appointed several temporary computer programmers "to write code for .NET framework and Oracle/SQL server for software designed for ECI. The use of digital signature certificates for government officials.
The counting of electronic voting was conducted in such a manner to hide booth wise voting pattern, ostensibly to prevent post-election "intimidation and victimization" of voters. What is the big danger if the booth wise voting pattern is known? First election in India using EVMs throughout the country had extensive security measures in place for EVMs -leaving the key with government officials. ""Keys of the EVM strong room should be in safe custody with the RO/DEO. The candidates should be allowed to put their own seal on the strong room". "A control room is opened in the premises from where watch may be kept on the strong room security".