Bersih 2.0 chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah has reiterated urgings for the present Election Commission (EC) commissioners to resign and be replaced by civil society representatives, professionals and people who have experience in electoral reforms.

Maria said they need not be replaced by civil servants as presently being done.

"We want people with integrity and committed to making sure that the elections will be clean and fair," she said at a press conference at the Duta court complex.

"Hence, their replacement need not be all civil servants but also include civil society groups, professionals and people who are committed to electoral reforms."

In the past, Bersih 2.0 under then co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan and national laureate A Samad Said have urged the resignation of the present EC commissioners as it had failed to ensure the electoral rolls are clean and that they do not enjoy public confidence.

The criteria on the EC is that they must enjoy public confidence, and this is stipulated in the federal constitution.

Ambiga had even after the 13th general election urged the commissioners to step down. A record of 66 election petitions had been filed following the May 5 general election.

Maria ( left ). who had also urged that there be no increase in seats but a fairer delineation , said the EC has to ensure that it stops the move of moving voters to another constituency as it had allegedly done since 2003, and also  gerrymandering, as this is against the constitution.

She wants voters to alert Bersih if such action is done in the delineation exercise scheduled in March, and the coalition will not hesitate to file an application for a judicial review in court to challenge the transfer of voters to another constituency.

Maria also said that following the proposed delineation exercise, the Bersih movement wants voters in every constituency to be prepared to object as they are given one month to do so after the proposal had been tabled.

“Hence, in some areas Bersih has already cooperated with non-governmental organisation Engage to have 100 affected voters to make objections within the 30-day period of the new boundaries,” she said.

Former Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat also said one of the present EC mistakes was that it did not follow the constitution with regard to the delineation exercise in 2003 and 2005, where the amendments to Article 46 of the federal constitution and state constitution were only done after the delineation.

“The EC itself has admitted this and if this is done again Bersih will certainly object against this matter in court this time around,” he said, to which Maria agreed.