M A I N   N E W S

Kalam’s posers on poll reforms
Union Cabinet ponders over ordinance today
S. Satyanarayanan
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 23
President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has sought clarifications on two counts on the ordinance to amend the Representation of the Peoples Act, sent to him for assent by the Vajpayee government last week.

Firstly, Dr Kalam has asked the government to clarify why the ordinance has not made it compulsory for the candidates contesting elections to furnish their educational qualifications and why the declaration of assets of the spouse and children of the candidates entering the fray has been omitted despite the Supreme Court’s direction, highly placed sources told The Tribune here today.

With the Election Commission already issuing the notification for the first phase of the Assembly poll in Jammu and Kashmir, the Vajpayee government is keen on getting the assent of the President to the ordinance at the earliest and has, thus, decided to deliberate the issue in the Cabinet scheduled to meet here tomorrow.

Sources indicated that the government was likely to stick to its stand against the declaration of educational qualifications by candidates. It might, however, reconsider the clause pertaining to the declaration of assets by candidates entering the election fray.

The argument with regard to educational qualification being put forward is that there is absolute consensus among political parties that the educational qualifications should not be made a source of information as it should not become an instrument of disadvantage. “Even the founding fathers after thorough deliberation had rejected this,” a source said.

On the clarification sought by the President on the asset declaration clause, if the government decides to reconsider it, sources indicate that it might have to once again consult all political parties as there is consensus among all the political parties over the clause in the ordinance.

The ordinance calls for assets being declared after election by successful candidates within 90 days of the date of declaration of results to the presiding officer of the House to which they belong.

The ordinance specifies that the post-election asset declaration would pertain to movable and immovable properties and also any liability towards a public bank or government.

Any wilful concealment or non-furnishing of assets and liability details by the elected candidate will be taken as a breach of privilege of the House and will be punishable as per the rules to be framed by the presiding officer of the respective House, the ordinance says.

The President has apparently sought clarifications following a meeting with a group of eminent citizens from across the country, which expressed apprehension that if the ordinance was promulgated it would violate the fundamental rights of a citizen to know the antecedents of the candidate before electing him to legislative assemblies or Parliament.

The ordinance gives effect to the suggestions made at the all-party meeting convened by the government. The ordinance is intended to nullify the Election Commission’s June 28 notification giving effect to the Supreme Court directions and dispense with furnishing information in an affidavit by candidates about their criminal antecedents, assets and liabilities and educational qualifications.

48 more election observers for J&K

New Delhi, August 23
The Election Commission today decided to deploy 48 more polling observers for ensuring free and fair elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Election Commissioner  J. M. Lyngdoh (centre) with other ECs at a meeting on Jammu and Kashmir election preparations in New Delhi on Friday. — PTI photo

“The EC decided to deploy 30 senior IAS officers and 18 senior officers from revenue and other services in the state. They will be assigned to different districts to cover all Assembly segments in the state,” an EC press note said.

This was decided at a meeting of poll observers convened by the Election Commission to review the poll preparations in the state where Assembly elections would be held in four phases on September 16 and 24 and October 1 and 8.

The meeting followed a three-day visit to the state by the full commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh and Election Commissioners T.S. Krishnamurthy and B.B. Tandon early this week.

It was also decided during the meeting that each observer would normally undertake three visits covering the period of nominations, scrutiny, poll and counting, it said.

These observers are in addition to the 17 Special Observers in all 14 districts of the state who have been assigned to observe the implementation of the initiatives taken up by the commission for ensuring free and fair elections in the state.

During the briefing today, the observers were also familiarised with the working of electronic voting machines (EVMs), which are to be used in all constituencies.

The 17 special observers, deployed in all 14 districts of the state earlier, were handpicked by the EC for their track record of “independent and tough” handling of earlier elections in the country. They have been visiting the state since mid-July this year.

The notification for the first phase of poll — covering 26 constituencies in six districts — on September 16 was issued yesterday, opening the process for filing of nominations. PTI, UNI