Civil society groups to form People’s Commission for Electoral Integrity to look into electoral practice

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 9, 2024

Civil society organisations across the country resolve to constitute a People’s Commission for Electoral Integrity comprising retired Supreme/High Court judges, retired civil servants and members with the required expertise.

In an online group from Bangalore on Saturday, the civil society group stated the proposed commission will look into the electoral practice in the 2024 elections and provide a set of reforms/integrity measures covering all aspects of the election cycle.

“These reforms/measures will be acted upon by the parliament and Election Commission swiftly and expeditiously. We expect no less. We are determined to never again repeat an election like election 2024,” the solution of the meeting stated.

“We reject parties that have demonstrated undemocratic and unconstitutional conduct and culture. Any party or MP that will consider or is dragged into this camp will also not be accepted by us. Any horse trading by this undemocratic and unconstitutional block will be resisted and condemned by the people,” it said.

“Parties who consider returning to the constitutional block will be welcomed by the people of India. We will actively engage in rebuilding a democratic and constitutional polity in our country,” it also said.

“We have emerged as a visible force, as it should. A visible, active constituent of our democratic process that is determined to bring the governance of this country back to its constitutional values and principles. Whichever government takes charge, we will monitor and push back on anti-people and unconstitutional and undemocratic policies and laws, to ensure pro-people progress,” the resolution stated.

“Don’t try and intimidate us or incarcerate us. We will continue to work towards cleaning up and empowering our democracy, guided by our constitution,” it stated.

“We demand the sovereignty of the Constitution, restoration of democracy and people-centric development. Mass organisations, grassroots civil society organisations, groups, and communities will mobilise locally to ensure Our voice is heard loud and clear by all political parties – that people stand at the very centre in the governance of this country, and governance is entirely aligned and guided by the Constitution,” it further said.

Earlier, a high-level broad consultative meeting of a grassroots mass movement, civil society and political parties was held in Bengaluru on May 21 and Delhi on May 28, joined by informed and concerned citizens, and prominent members of civil society from various walks of life.

“Through the Delhi Resolution, we had collectively expressed our deep concern regarding the stealing of the People’s Mandate, which is a practice not new to this regime. We declare our emphatic un-acceptance to post-result horse-trading by this regime that entirely disregards the people’s mandate, and goes against our Constitution and our democratic process,” it added.

The meeting was attended by Dr Darshan Pal, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM); Devasahayam MG, Constitutional Conduct Group, and part of constituting the independent panel for monitoring of the Indian elections); Dhananjay, president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), Hannan Mollah, politburo member, CPI-M and convenor of the Bhoomi Adhikar Andolan); John Dayal, senior activist and writer); Krishna Prasad, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS); Nadeem Khan, United Against Hate; Parakala Prabhakar, political economist, Dr Sunilam, SKM; Sudhir Vombatkere, retired Major General, public commentator, engaged with people’s issues like delimitation, part of the anti-nuclear movement; Suresh Kauth, Haryana, Syeda Hameed, former chairperson of the National Commission of Women (NCW); Tara Rao and Noor Sridhar, Eddelu Karnataka, Thomas Franco, Constitutional Conduct Group and Teesta Setalvad, Vote for Democracy.