Run-off benefits

N.M. Ghatate 8216;Stains on the system8217;, IE, August 2 has made great suggestions. The Election Commission should speci...

N.M. Ghatate 8216;Stains on the system8217;, IE, August 2 has made great suggestions. The Election Commission should specify what stops it from implementing ideas like run-off elections. The commission should imaginatively market and explain its ideas to everyone. It won8217;t have any effect if the idea is not well illustrated to the people. I think one of the reasons earlier initiatives of the Election Commission didn8217;t have the desired impact is because of lack of good marketing. The voting card, for instance, was not well marketed.

8212; Sushant Ann Arbor

8226; The former vice-chairman of the Law Commission has presented some very good ideas that can help remove the political mafia from our politics. Should these ideas be implemented, Indian democracy 8212; that has been severely bruised by both Congress and BJP governments 8212; will become more vibrant. It will help to remove money and muscle power from the voting system.

8212;Arvind Amin On e-mail

8226; While fully agreeing with the views expressed in the article, I only hope all our lawmakers will come together to reform the electoral process.

8212; Sreedharan Bangalore

Game theories

8226; This refers to your editorial 8216;Ballast for a rocky boat8217; IE, August 2. It would serve the purpose if the Congress can learn something from the way Atal Bihari Vajpayee handled his coalition with such astuteness. The way the Congress has cornered vital portfolios and selected governors without giving proper representation to supporting parties under the notion that Verdict 2004 is for itself does not augur well for the UPA8217;s stability. This big brother attitude could spell disaster for the UPA. The success of the UPA depends entirely on the Congress8217;s understanding and handling of coalition compulsions and the comrades8217; interests.

8212; K.R.P. Gupta Mumbai

The political taint

8226; Prime Minister Manmohan Singh8217;s statement that a law must be enacted to prevent chargesheeted persons from becoming ministers should be welcomed. At the same time, his observation that tainted ministers in his cabinet are inevitable in the present circumstances and his attempt to justify it by stating that the NDA also had tainted ministers are unacceptable. I hope that Manmohan Singh will rise to the nation8217;s expectations as the torchbearer of moral and ethical standards in Indian politics.

8212;N.S. Venkataraman Chennai

Sachin8217;s loss

8226; It was a mystifying decision to give Sanath Jayasuriya the player of the series award 8212; instead of to Sachin Tendulkar, who gave a solid allround account of himself in the Asia Cup. Jayasuriya scored 293 runs and took just three wickets whereas Sachin scored 281 runs and took 12 wickets at an average of 12.25. So Sachin was definitely worthy of the award. However, Sri Lanka definitely deserved to win the Asia Cup because they were the best team in the tournament. But India will bounce back soon. Watch out. Because if by playing bad cricket they can enter the final, then just imagine what they can do when they start playing to their abilities.

8212; Amjad K. Maruf Mumbai