Observers barred from talking to media

Speaking to the media is a strict no no for the poll observers. In its guidelines for observers, the EC has directed that 8220;they observers should always clearly and firmly bear in mind the fact that they are only the eyes and ears and not the mouthpiece of the Commission. Their inputs/observations are confidential and solely for the use of the Commission and not for any other agency including media. They must not, therefore, interact with or respond to the queries of the press even after the elections are over. In recent times, it has been observed that some observers had a tendency to give interview to the media even during the course of the polling process, ventilating their opinion on various electoral issues. Some observers have given interviews to media after a long gap i.e. after the completion of the election in a particular state. In all these cases, the Commission has taken a very serious view.8221; The observers who expressed their views through media were withdrawn from the election duty, it said.