EC for video-tracking of candidates with criminal past
March 16, 2009 : The Hindu
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has urged the 2,500-odd Central election observers of the coming Lok Sabha polls and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim to strictly follow the directions on vulnerability mapping to ensure free and fair polls.
They have been asked to concentrate not only inside polling stations to prevent bogus voting, booth capturing and other violations of election laws but also outside the booths in small lanes to prevent violence and any sort of “silent intimidation,¶ said Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami on Sunday. Earlier, he chaired a meeting of poll observers here along with Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and S.Y. Quraishi.
The observers had been directed to identify contact points or persons who would provide such information and be extra careful during polling and fan out to the areas already identified to see that the voters were not prevented or intimidated by any one in any form. The “vulnerability mapping¶ was successfully implemented during the Uttar Pradesh elections two years ago, he said. This concept was different from the sensitive and hyper-sensitive booths. Besides, 20 per cent of the booths in the country would be monitored by micro observers.
The Commission has urged the observers of to take up video-tracking of candidates with criminal background and those criminal elements on election-related works. “We have specifically told them to track surrogate ads, advertisements masquerading as news items, mass weddings, birthday parties and mass feeding sessions,¶ said the Chief Election Commissioner .
Identification of critical polling stations/clusters, setting up of facilitation centres for issue of postal ballot papers to the polling personnel (including security personnel), preparation of communication plan, randomisation of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and revised procedure of counting of votes were some of the areas on which instructions were given to the observers who would include IAS, IRS, Indian Forest Service, Indian Custom and Excise Service officials and 850 officers from the State Civil services.
He said the expenditure reports of the observers would be scrutinised post-poll by a select group of 3 to 4 senior expert officers who would be deputed to the Election Commission for the purpose. Those officers would be identified by the Commission shortly.
Mr. Gopalaswami added that the Commission would also utilise the services of National Cadet Corps cadets and National Service Scheme volunteers for poll duties.
