EC backs proxy voting by armed forces men

NEW DELHI, Dec 20: The Election Commission (EC) has called for an ordinance amending existing laws to enable some 25 lakh armed forces personnel and diplomats to vote by proxy in the coming general elections.

Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill has, in a letter to Prime Minister I K Gujral, said that the EC unanimously agreed that the only method of ensuring full participation of the “service voters” was to allow them a proxy vote.Urging the Centre to promulgate an ordinance to this effect, the letter said that “under the proxy system, a service voter would be permitted to authorise any adult member of his family, namely his wife or any of his sons or daughters or father, mother, to vote for them in his native place,” the letter said.

An authorised person could even consult the service voter concerned through post or any telecommunication link to ascertain for whom he wishes to vote, Gill said.

The CEC also said that if the required amendment to the Representation of People Act 1951, and the Indian Penal Code is allowed, then the Commission would work out the modalities for providing proxy voting facilities.