EC chief resorts to name calling, decries Bersih
Published: Dec 7, 2013 10:22 AM | Updated: Dec 9, 2013 12:30 AM
The polls reform Bersih coalition has slammed the Election Commission (EC) for failing to account as well as take responsibility for the many flaws in the 13th general election.
The polls reform Bersih coalition has slammed the Election Commission (EC) for failing to account as well as take responsibility for the many flaws in the 13th general election.
It also condemned the commission's chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof for resorting to name-calling instead of addressing substantiated concerns about the EC's integrity.
"The EC's recently-released, 11-page media statement on its post-mortem report of the 13th general election, continues the EC's modus operandi: denying responsibility and underplaying accountability for any shortcoming in the discharge of its duties...
"We urge everyone not to be distracted by the insults and name-calling. It is the last refuge of an EC unable to respond substantially to its critics and accept responsibility for its actions," said Bersih in a statement yesterday.
Abdul Aziz had reportedly called Bersih's newly elected chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah (right) "arrogant and cocky" over her statement that the electoral reform movement and other NGOs would petition the Agong to replace the EC commissioners, according to a report on The Malaysian Insider yesterday.
EC evades responsibility
Among others, Bersih points out in its statement that while EC admitted that the indelible ink did not work, it evaded responsibility for it and did not acknowledge flaws in the procurement process.
In addition, the group says it has not responded substantially to concerns over the integrity of the electoral roll, such as cases where members of the same household were assigned as voters in different localities.
"The solution put forward by the EC on this issue was that a voter ‘must ensure that the address on the identification card is accurate.'
"This is a classic non-answer, given that the response does not at all acknowledge the fact that the voters affected had been living in the household for years, and shared the same address on their identification card," it said.
It also said the EC has failed to substantiate its claim that some voters use mailing address that are more convenient to postal voters, which supposedly gives rise to cases were large numbers of voters are registered to a single address.
It also condemned the commission's chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof for resorting to name-calling instead of addressing substantiated concerns about the EC's integrity.
"The EC's recently-released, 11-page media statement on its post-mortem report of the 13th general election, continues the EC's modus operandi: denying responsibility and underplaying accountability for any shortcoming in the discharge of its duties...
"We urge everyone not to be distracted by the insults and name-calling. It is the last refuge of an EC unable to respond substantially to its critics and accept responsibility for its actions," said Bersih in a statement yesterday.
Abdul Aziz had reportedly called Bersih's newly elected chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah (right) "arrogant and cocky" over her statement that the electoral reform movement and other NGOs would petition the Agong to replace the EC commissioners, according to a report on The Malaysian Insider yesterday.EC evades responsibility
Among others, Bersih points out in its statement that while EC admitted that the indelible ink did not work, it evaded responsibility for it and did not acknowledge flaws in the procurement process.
In addition, the group says it has not responded substantially to concerns over the integrity of the electoral roll, such as cases where members of the same household were assigned as voters in different localities.
"The solution put forward by the EC on this issue was that a voter ‘must ensure that the address on the identification card is accurate.'
"This is a classic non-answer, given that the response does not at all acknowledge the fact that the voters affected had been living in the household for years, and shared the same address on their identification card," it said.
It also said the EC has failed to substantiate its claim that some voters use mailing address that are more convenient to postal voters, which supposedly gives rise to cases were large numbers of voters are registered to a single address.
View Comments0