Willy endorses EC view to bar tainted from polls

Willy endorses EC view to bar tainted from polls
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JAN 11
Veteran politician Dr Wilfred de Souza said he has endorsed the decision of the Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi to debar candidates not only convicted, but also having criminal charges against them, from contesting elections and the State Government should uphold this move. 
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday Dr Willy said like Quraishi he was also of the firm view that the law needs to be examined and the Parliament needs to revisit the issue of criminalisation of politics.
Quraishi recently told PTI the power to disqualify anyone was not with the EC but with Parliament. Under the existing law, a person is disqualified for contesting election only on conviction. It is ironic a person in jail is free to contest elections during the pendency of trial, though he is not eligible to vote, he had noted.  
Dr Willy said the Election Commission needs to be supported in this regard and the State Government should see that in Goa tainted people are kept out of the election process. The same rule should apply even for council elections, he added.
REGIONAL PLAN: The veteran politician observed on the Regional Plan front in other talukas it was learnt nonsense was going on. “I am of the view that the notified plans of Canacona and Pernem should go back to the people. People’s view is the final view,” he mentioned.
He said the Government has to deal with this issue seriously as there was an explosion waiting to happen and after that only god help this government. People’s committees are becoming active and discussing what do by next month, he said.
ILLEGALITY: When asked to give his view about the present Government functioning, Dr Willy said it was good but not perfect. But at the same time, he said this Government wasn’t doing anything to stop illegalities. He pointed out to a hill cutting brought to his notice by a very eminent person living in his village.
He said under this government illegalities were being encouraged. The illegality I am talking of in Saligao was just permission for renovation of an existing house. “But the said party has gone ahead and cut a hill for a project with 32 flats,” he stated.