By-polls preparations ill-timed : HERICOUN
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 19 2020:
The Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN) has said that any preparation to hold the by-elections for the vacant 13 seats of Manipur Legislative Assembly at this critical juncture is ill-timed.
HERICOUN in a release said many experts have opined that community transmission is on in Manipur.
At a time when the surge in the number of COVID-19 infections along with the number of deaths are on the rise, the Election Commission of India (ECI) preparing to hold the by-elections for the vacant 13 Manipur Legislative Assembly seats is ill-timed.
HERICOUN questioned the sense of imposing lockdowns and making people suffer if elections are conducted.
People, tired of the long imposition of the lockdown, when they come out to find some relief are detained and fined for violating the lockdown, it said and questioned the sense of preparing to hold by-elections at this juncture.
"Will it be possible to hold the election without people gathering and strictly following the SOP ?," HERICOUN asked while saying that the usual way the elections are held in the State is by organizing feasts programmes, parties and gatherings.
With this kind of gatherings it will ultimately lead to the rapid surge in the number of infections and every locality will become containment zones, it warned.
The State Government should have told the ECI that preparing to hold the by elections now would be ill-timed while Chief Election Officer Manipur could have submitted a detailed report.
On the other hand, all the political parties in Manipur should urge ECI not to hold elections at this hour, it said.
HERICOUN said it considers the move to hold by-elections at this juncture a selfish move of some politicians to gain power.