The Election Commission (EC) says that its transparency can be seen in various stages from start to finish of polls.

The EC, in its book ‘Clarification of issues brought up concerning elections’, said the transparency could be observed during nomination of candidates, campaign period, polling, counting of votes and announcing of winners.

NONE It said the commission had proven its credibility through the handling of 12 general elections since 1959, including the 2008 national polls where the opposition won 82 of the 222 parliamentary seats and took five states.

“All this convinced the people that the election system now in use is credible, free and fair,” the EC said.

The commission noted that Article 118 of the federal constitution allowed those not happy with the outcome of an election that it conducted to submit a petition to a High Court.

        

The EC also clarified that it no longer had the power to hold elections for local authorities.

This followed the annulment of the provision under Part V of the Local Government Act 1976 for the EC to supervise the election of council members, it said.

A policy decision is necessary for reverting to the old practice of electing rather than appointing council members, the EC said. And all matters involving policy are subject to approval from the National Council for Local Governments.

On the monitoring of elections, the EC clarified that anyone wishing to observe or monitor an election must have its permission.

The EC said that it had accredited Mafrel, Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections, as observers for the 2008 general election and several by-elections held in 2009.

    

However, Mafrel had failed to observe the conditions laid down for observers, the EC said.

“Mafrel was found to have gone against several conditions stipulated with such acts as making press statements on their findings without the knowledge of the commission,” it said.

Consequently, the EC stopped accrediting Mafrel as observers.

- Bernama