Clean and fair elections take centre stage in Ipoh

Subject of free and fair elections took the center stage again at the recently concluded People’s 13^th General Election convention in Ipoh.

The presentation by three panelists including the former speaker of Perak state assembly V. Sivakumar touched on effects in the electoral list, the reason behind Pakatan’s supporting Bersih’s demands for a clean a fair election and the Election Commission’s (EC) reluctance in rectifying the existing electoral list.

13^th general election (GE13) people’s convention was by Pas deputy commissioner, Kahiruddin Abdul Malik

Panelists of the forum claimed that the present scenario proves that the EC is in collaboration with the ruling government for allowing such deficiencies to exist.

According to the panelist, the people of Perak are suppressed from the actual truths due to lack of transparency on EC’s handling of the electoral list.

Among the examples quoted by the panelist to back up their claims are the confirmation by MIMOS on the existence of voters of foreign origin were found in the electoral list but EC had justified with reason that they need death certificates in order to strike off the names.

Perak Pakatan chairperson, Nizar Jamaluddin in his closing speech said that the Umno is under presure and is doing everything it could, including things which are unimaginable and incomprehensible.

“Have you heard from any leaders from Umno especially from its leadership or any other BN leader like MCA and MIC who have said that they want to have a clean and fair elections?” asked Nizar.

According to Nizar, there is not a single commonwealth government has ever had its police interfere with a public assembly sitting.

Nizar claimed that Umno led the police to do just that.

“The attitudes of 20 to 30 years ago of lack of political awareness has brought us to the present situations and to what is happening now,” he said.