EC to modify polling rules-for better or worse?

There will be some significant changes to the polling rules for coming 13th GE: eg disabled persons can now be assisted by any `trusted friends’ in casting their ballots -a departure from previous arrangement where only close relatives are allowed. This change means that party officials can get into the polling booth to legally `assist’ the disabled voter. Why? Is this an improvement or an arrangement to open the door for political interference into the polling process? More problems may be found when the full range of `changes’ are disclosed! The EC has certainly try to `change’ -but the changes they bring in may not be the change that the people expect!

Slight changes to voting process for next general election

Posted on July 12, 2012, Thursday

THIS IS THE WAY: Abdul Aziz shows how the new system works during a press conference at his office in Putrajaya. — Bernama photo

PUTRAJAYA: There will be slight changes to the voting process for the next general election to ensure more transparent polls based on recommendations made by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reform.

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EC to draw up code of ethics for caretaker govt-or legalising vote buying?

It was not long ago that the EC chief claimed that he was convinced that the BN chief cum PM was legally well briefed to promise Rm5mil to Sibu voters if they voted BN candidate from SUPP. Will the same EC chief agree that such blatant vote buying prohibited anywhere else in the world’s democracies will be stopped by the code of ethics for the caretaker government? In addition there has been mountainous amount of abuse of government resources for BN’s campaigns-will EC’s code of ethics stop all these robberies that helped BN’s victories? Don’t wait to find out what these codes of ethics will come to. If the EC cannot enforce its existing codes of ethics for election thus far -which also stipulate that incumbent party cannot abuse govt facilities during campaign, what hope is there that another code of ethics will be enforceable?

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EC’s budget surge from Rm40mil to Rm700mil need 17 times better explanation!

Why would EC be given such a budget hike when its performance has been much criticised? In looking at the excuse to hike EC’s budget Rm360mil is for `operation’ -without any explanation of what they mean. Would they spend more on voter registration-which is very poor in many interior areas of East Malaysia? Would they spend more on voter education-where vote buying is rampant? Would they create new investigation arm to look into corruption and abuse of public resources which the MACC had publicly refused to handle? If these are not the areas to improve the EC operation then the public would be sceptical and cynical enough to think that the huge budget hike would go towards some unspeakable electoral manipulations! It is time for the EC to come clean on its new budget!

 

Uproar over RM700mil for polls expenses
Syed Jaymal Zahiid
| July 11, 2012

Pakatan Rakyat demands to know why it takes that much to run the 13th national elections.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat leaders today raised alarms over the Election Commission’s RM700 million budget to run the looming 13th general polls which is a drastic increase from its initial RM40 million allocation.

PKR senator Syed Husin Ali, speaking to reporters here, revealed Putrajaya’s request for an additional RM360 million for the EC’s operational expenses, and RM300 million for “security expenses” amid an ongoing national dispute over the credibility of the country’s elections system.

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