Only those registered before June 1 can vote in civic polls
SEC has no role in ward reservation
HERALD REPORTER
MARGAO, AUG 18
If you are one of the hundreds, if not thousands of new voters, bracing up to cast your vote in the forthcoming municipal polls, hold on.
For, if your name is registered in the electorate rolls after June 1, 2010, you are not entitled to vote in the civic elections tentatively scheduled on October 30, as per an order of the Goa State Election Commission.
State Election Commission Secretary Parab informed that that rolls as on June 1, 2010 will be made applicable for the ensuing municipal polls, adding that new voters who have been added on the electoral rolls after June 1 will not be entitled to cast his vote.
When it was pointed out that voters are allowed to register names in the rolls even after the process begins for filing of nomination papers for assembly elections, Parab said “It is true that voters are allowed to register themselves in the electoral roll for assembly polls, but that is not allowed during municipal polls”.
“During the intensive revision of electoral rolls, it takes a lot of time to finalise the rolls. The rolls will be finalized and published only after a lengthy process. Elections for the State municipal bodies are due in October and hence the new voters included during the intensive revision are not eligible to vote before the finalization of the electoral process”, he added.
Sitting councillors and prospective candidates for the Margao municipal polls, who had ensured that many a new voter was included in the rolls with an eye on the votes, have expressed their resentment over the issue as it would only deny the new voters the constitutional right to cast their vote.
When contacted, Returning Officer for the Margao Municipal Council, Johnson Fernandes, said that the order issued by the State Election Commission clearly states that the returning officer should take into account the electoral roll in force as on June 1, 2010.
Meanwhile, the Goa State Election Commission has said that reservation of municipal wards for the Other Backward Class (OBC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities in the forthcoming civic polls is the responsibility of the director of municipal administration.
“The government has decided to reserve a certain percentage of seats for the OBC and ST community. It is now for the director of municipal administration to reserve the wards and notify the same”, asserted Parab.
He said the State Election Commission has no role to play in ward reservation, adding that it is the domain of the municipal administration.
Parab’s statement assumes significance given that the Urban Development Minister, Joaquim Alemao on Tuesday had told Herald that the ward reservation issue will be decided by the State Election Commission.
With the State Election Commission clarifying that it has no role in the reservation of municipal wards, it now remains unknown what yardstick the director of municipal administration would adopt in the absence of relevant data.
