CEO tutors media houses on poll ethics, reporting
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 15 2014 : Chief Electoral Officer Manipur O Nabakishore has called upon media houses of the State to facilitate healthy debates among candidates of the Lok Sabha election on public issues.

O Nabakishore was speaking at the inaugural session of a one-day media workshop on "The role of public broadcasters in election with refe- rence to Lok Sabha election 2014' .

The workshop held today at Manipur Press Club was jointly organised by AIR Imphal, Regional News Unit and the office of the CEO.

Nabakishore also underscored the role of media in holding an election successfully and ensuring maximum number of voters exercise their right of adult franchise.

How far the candidates are concerned or knowledgeable about the myriad issues confronting the State would be known when a debate is organised exclusively for them.

Dignitaries at the workshop on 'role of public broadcasters

Voters can easily choose candidates based on their performance in such debates, Nabakishore stated.

In his presidential speech, AIR Imphal Station Director Moirangthem Kanankumar appealed to all candidates to abide by the code of conduct and state their positions on different social issues through media.

The Sangai Express (Manipuri edition) Editor Khogendra Khomdram said that the practice of publishing paid news at the time of election is not very much preva- lent in Manipur.

Nonetheless, Editors have been working hard to filter all kinds of paid news.

He observed that candidates/political parties often try to cajole media persons to pu-blish news stories about them by offering money.

Joint CEO N Prabin while noting the momentous role of media in holding an election successfully, stated that the foremost for any electoral process is to ensure all eligible people are enrolled in the electoral roll.

Conceding that the State's electoral roll cannot be made 'clean' till date, Prabin said that around 1,20,000 people have not been enrolled in the electoral roll even though they are fully eligible.

On the other hand, names of many expired people are still listed in the electoral roll.

These loopholes and drawbacks often became bone of contention, sometimes igniting violent confrontation during election, Prabin said.

After the special camp of March 9, another similar camp would be organised in all polling stations on March 16 .

All the left out people who are not yet enrolled though eligible may get themselves enrolled at the camp.

Correction of errors and deletion of ineligible voters may also be done at the camp.

Later, ISTV Editor-in-Chief Brozendro Ningomba and DDK Imphal Head of Office AK Khogen presented papers in the technical session which was moderated by AIR Imphal, Joint Director (retd) BB Sharma.