Aliran Media Statement
The Election Commission is not free and fair Please support our work by buying a copy of our print publication, Aliran Monthly, from your nearest news-stand. Better still take out a subscription now. We also welcome donations.
The Constitution, the supreme law of the land, stipulates that elections be held within 60 days after the dissolution of Parliament. The Constitution further mandates the EC to conduct a free and fair election. The framers of the Constitution, in their wisdom and out of respect for democracy, made provisions for a fair election to be conducted. For this a reasonable period of time is required so that the electoral contest can be held with equal opportunity for all. They wanted to ensure a level playing field to make elections meaningful and relevant. This is why a 60-day period was enshrined in the Constitution. The EC cannot just ignore the reason and rational and act arbitrarily. The BN chose to dissolve Parliament at a time that is considered most favourable to them. Election at any other time would not be suitable for the BN. When the EC rushed to hold the election in the shortest possible time, it is clearly meant to favour the BN and put the Opposition and the independents in a quandary. Can the EC honestly state that an effective challenge can be mounted in seven days? There is hardly any time to print posters and prepare banners and other election paraphernalia. The BN's arsenal of armoury is already in full swing because they are the ones who knew the timing of the election. Their preparations were made long before the dissolution of Parliament. The EC seem to have forgotten that even during the height of the Communist Emergency, the campaign period was long. Even the Indonesian Confrontation did not curtail the period of campaign. In 1955 for example, it was an unbelievable 43 days (15 June - 27 July) in 1959, 1964 and 1969 the campaign period was 35 days. When the security threat then was very real we did not demean democracy or sacrifice the principles of fair play. There was no uncertainty during these interim periods when the caretaker government was in place. The EC Chairman's contention that there is "the need to form a new government quick enough" and to ensure "there are no uncertainties that could threaten the safety of people" does not hold water and only reveals his utter ignorance. He chooses not to remember that there is the caretaker government to look after the day-to-day task of administration, which also includes maintaining law and order. And there is the Civil Service, which actually runs the government machinery all the time. So there is no cause for uncertainty or need to form a new government that quickly. His arguments are flimsy and sound hollow. It is not only in fixing the dates for nomination and polling that the EC is seen to be siding with the BN. Even with regard to the delineation process, the EC had not come across as a neutral body discharging their constitutional functions in all fairness. It has been accused of gerrymandering the constituencies to put the Opposition at a terrible disadvantage. The EC is supposed to be an independent and impartial entity. Unfortunately, it has not conducted itself as such. In the eyes of thinking Malaysians, the Election Commission is indeed not capable of conducting a free and fair election.
Aliran Executive Committee This statement was sent to the local media including The Star and the Sun. We have stopped sending statements to the New Straits Times as they have never been carried.
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