EC chief acts like a 'BN election agent'

Polls watchdog Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) has urged Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof to quit if the Election Commission chief continues to “act like a Barisan Nasional election agent”.

In a statement issued today, the coalition has accused Abdul Aziz of being BN’s ‘parrot’ which echoes the views of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak after he complained of a by-election fatigue among voters.

Bersih reminded Abdul Aziz ( left ) that he is “constitutionally duty-bound to ensure free, fair and clean elections instead of preventing elections and by-elections, especially when it looks like BN cannot ensure victory”.

“As elections, including by-elections, are core to a representative democracy, EC must not propose any changes to deprive voters of their right to decide who they want to represent them,” said the statement.

“If Abdul Aziz cannot control his partisan behaviour, he should just quit his job,” said the statement.

Otherwise, it suggested he “can work full-time as a BN election agent or lead a lobby group advocating for the abolishment of elections”.

On the same note, Bersih demanded all state election officers to observe administrative neutrality.

Najib had earlier said it was not the time to have another by-election as it would be a waste of public resources given that the nation has already seen five by-elections since the 2008 general election.

The PM, who is also BN chief, is also mulling the possibility of not contesting in the Penanti state seat after it fell vacant following the resignation of former Penang deputy chief minister and assemblyperson Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin.

Bersih: Elections are like job interviews

Bersih also urged the commission to push for the lifting of Article 48 (6) which imposes a five-year ban on an elected representative who resigns from his or her seat.

“Elections are like job interviews. An employee has the right to resign and seek reappointment under different conditions. Whether or not they would be employed should be left to their prospective employer,” it said.

It described the EC’s insistence on investigating if a seat is indeed vacant rather than accepting the legislature speaker’s judgement as both “partisan and malicious”.

Bersih also slammed Abdul Aziz for providing unsolicited views on the outcome of elections after he was reported to have said the voting pattern in Chinese-majority Kuala Sepetang in the Bukit Gantang by-election was “worrying”.

“This is gravely inappropriate and uncalled for. The EC’s job is to administer elections, not to make patronising, partisan and unsolicited advice on the outcome of elections,” it said.

EC’s ‘strange and extraordinary behaviour’

Meanwhile, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said the EC should explain its “strange and unprecedented” behaviour in holding back its announcement of the nomination and polling dates for the Penanti by-election although the commission had met on the matter yesterday.

“In my 43 years of political and electoral experience, I have not come across another instance where the EC failed to announce the dates for general election or by-election on the very same day after it had held a special meeting on it,” said the Ipoh Timur MP.

This is contrary to the five earlier by-elections where the EC announced the dates on the same day after it had met.

Lim also demanded to know why the commission is putting off its announcement until next Monday instead of tomorrow, bringing to suspicion that EC is “waiting for a signal from the Umno supreme council meeting tomorrow night”.

“(Are they waiting for the signal) as Najib has indicated unwillingness for Umno and BN to contest in view of the losing streak of BN and Umno in by-elections after last year’s political tsunami?” asked Lim.

According to the veteran politician, EC is acting more like “a mouthpiece and appendage of the BN government instead of being a non-partisan, professional and independent commission”.