The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Conduct audit of poll rolls'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 08, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Conduct audit of poll rolls'

Special Correspondent

Call for debate on electoral reforms

T.S. Krishnamurthy

CHENNAI: The former Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, on Tuesday said that political parties, non-governmental organisations and the public should extend their active cooperation to ensure error-free electoral rolls.

Speaking at a function here on "conducting largest democratic elections," he said that NGOs such as Rotary Clubs could take up voter roll audits in selected areas to check whether the rolls were prepared perfectly or not.

Mr. Krishnamurthy stressed the need for a national debate on various issues relating to electoral reforms including proportional representation and the right to recall. Shortly before he laid down office, he had met the Prime Minister and briefed him on the importance of launching such a debate to promote a proper political system, he said. "If these changes are done earlier the better."

Describing every election in the country as an important event, he said the electoral reforms were aimed at ensuring the right to information about candidates, regulation of poll advertisements and expenditure of political parties, regulation of exit polls and enhancement of voters' awareness, besides preventing criminal elements from coming into active politics.

He expressed the hope that the political climate, public awareness, quality of democracy, transparency and accountability would improve in the years to come.

Mr. Krishnamurthy said that conditions should be stipulated for withdrawal of support to the Government to ensure that no Government was made to fall on flimsy reasons such as defection. The voters also should be given the right to cast negative votes if none of the candidates in the fray was unacceptable to them.

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