LS Polls 2024: 102 Ex-Civil Servants Raise Alarm Over EC's Conduct In Open Letter, Remind Authorities Of Oath

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) In an open letter addressed to the nation, a group of 102 retired civil servants on Saturday expressed deep apprehensions regarding the conduct of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024 in India. Highlighting significant issues concerning the integrity of the electoral process, the letter sheds light on the reluctance of the current Election Commission to discharge its duties effectively, despite repeated concerns raised by various responsible organizations and esteemed members of society.

"We are a group of former civil servants who have served the Central and State governments in various capacities. We have no affiliation with any political party but are strongly committed to the ideals enshrined in the Constitution of India," the Constitutional Conduct Group wrote in their opening remarks.

"June 4, 2024 will be the final chapter of the eighteenth general elections to the Parliament of the world's most populous country; the largest democratic contest that the world has ever witnessed. During this massive exercise, more than anyone else, it is India's working poor, its farmers, its women and its youth who have affirmed their abiding faith in India's democracy by queueing up in large numbers even in the searing heat of summer," the letter read.

"Elections are a particularly testing time for institutions that are constitutionally vested with the responsibility of ensuring the integrity and fairness of elections. These include the higher judiciary, the election commission, chief electoral officers in every state and returning officers in every district.
To retain the faith of the ordinary citizen in these constitutional institutions vested with the onerous responsibility of the free and fair conduct of elections, it is necessary that these institutions must not only be fair but also appear to be fair.
They must reassure the citizens of the fairness and integrity of the process through their consistently transparent and accountable functioning, and by continuously sharing information with the electorate," they further added.

'No Election Commission in the past has been as reluctant as the present one'

In their open letter, the retired civil servants lamented the unprecedented hesitancy of the present Election Commission in upholding its responsibilities. Citing instances of alleged electoral malpractices, including tampering with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), unauthorized voting, and discrepancies in voter lists, the letter underscores the imperative for transparent and accountable functioning of the electoral institutions. Furthermore, it calls upon the Election Commission to promptly address these concerns and restore faith in the fairness of the electoral process.

"During the 2024 general elections, concerns have been raised at many points about the fairness of the elections. These relate to fears that the EVM and VVPAT machines can be tampered with, instances of single persons unlawfully voting on behalf of many voters (some videos of this are in circulation), of many people, especially of vulnerable groups, finding their names missing from the voters' lists, of the inexplicable refusal of the Election Commission of India to disclose the exact numbers of votes cast in each constituency, and of little visible action against hate speech targeting both minorities and the opposition parties by senior leaders of the ruling party. It would have been fitting for the Election Commission to publicly explain actions taken, and not taken, by the Commission to address these problems and allay the fears of the electorate. They should still do this without further delay and in a transparent manner," the letter said.

"It pains us to say that no Election Commission in the past has been as reluctant as the present one to discharge its duties, despite violations being repeatedly brought to its attention by responsible organisations and respected members of society. We hope they will not continue to show this disregard in the time that is remaining," the retired civil servants group added.

'Immense care needs to be taken for the safe custody of the EVM machines'

As the country approaches the crucial phase of vote counting on June 4, the retired civil servants emphasized the critical need for stringent measures to safeguard the integrity of EVMs. "In the run-up to the counting, immense care needs to be taken for the safe custody of the EVM machines in ways that involve all the competing candidates and parties. Returning officers need to commit themselves to announcing the results of the counting of votes in every case without any delay," they said.

"In the event of a hung parliament, onerous responsibilities will be placed upon the shoulders of the President of India. We are sure that she will follow the established democratic precedent of first inviting the pre-poll alliance that garnered the largest number of seats. Also, that she would endeavour to preempt the possibilities of horse-trading," the letter further noted.

Speaking on behalf of the citizens of India, the retired civil servants reminded the authorities and institutions responsible for overseeing the electoral process of their paramount duty to uphold the Constitution. They stressed the significance of adhering to the oath taken at the time of assuming office, urging a commitment to constitutional conduct and the well-being of the people.

"We bring forth the luminous pledge that India's first citizen, the President of India, takes to“ preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law” and to devote herself“ to the service and the well-being of the people of India”.
We are sure that this will be her guiding light. Satyameva Jayate," the open letter concluded.

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