EC won146;t invite observers

Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh today clarified his statements on observers at the coming Assembly polls and I-cards to voters. 1...

Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh today clarified his statements on observers at the coming Assembly polls and I-cards to voters.

8216;8216;These I-cards will be optional,8217;8217; he said. 8216;8216;To exercise franchise, it will not be mandatory to produce an I-card.8217;8217; He said the coming Assembly polls were of international significance and 8216;8216;I don8217;t want to be mistook or misquoted8217;8217; over foreign observers. 8216;8216;I have decided not to open my mouth,8217;8217; Lyngdoh said. He showed a copy of the official release denying the use of foreign observers and said: 8216;8216;Take this paper as an official version.8217;8217;

The release was distributed to reporters. It read: 8216;8216;Our law on elections, unlike the election system of some other countries, does not allow foreign observers. On the other hand, it enjoins the EC to appoint its own observers, who are senior civil servants. India has a large pool of neutral civil servants.8217;8217;

The release clarified Lyngdoh8217;s view that observers did not mean 8216;8216;foreign observers8217;8217;. He was mentioning the Election Commission8217;s reliance on media reports, including those of the 8216;8216;foreign media8217;8217; who would have access to polling stations.

It further said: 8216;8216;The EC will not invite anyone to function as observers for J-K elections. But if any individual, who is associated with the conduct of elections in his/her country which has good democratic credentials, then in his/her individual capacity, he/she can come to see the election, subject, of course, to the person8217;s getting necessary government clearance.8217;8217;

Lyngdoh had met representatives of political parties and assured them of curbing bogus voting. He said today that unlike the rest of the country, people in J-K would have to approach electoral officials with their photographs for I-cards. The cards would be helpful during security checks and for getting passports.

Lack of infrastructure was hampering efforts to prepare I-cards, he said. Against the necessary software of 60 control tables, the state has only six. On taking action against securitymen who coerce people to vote, Lyngdoh said: 8216;8216;I have no such reports of people being coerced.8217;8217;