Reveal SOPs for flood polls, Bersih urges EC and Nadma

Bersih has urged the Election Commission (EC) and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to publish their standard operating procedures (SOPs) for voting amid the floods.

The electoral reform group also wants the EC to include contingency plans to prevent unintended vote suppression due to floods, in the commission's special meeting tomorrow to decide the nomination and polling date for the 15th general election (GE15).

"The EC must ensure its representatives sit on the national, state, and district-level disaster management committees and decisions on saving lives and preserving democracy are coordinated to minimise the trade-off between the two.

"Bersih calls upon all institutions and quarters – political and unelected - to respect the role of the EC as an independent institution and give it full room to make professional decisions in the electoral process," Bersih's steering committee said in a statement today.

Citing instances of recent floods in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, and Tuaran in Sabah, as well as Langkawi in Kedah, the group asked what measures will be taken if a similar situation happens elsewhere during polling day.

SOP suggestions

The SOPs of EC produces in consultation with Nadma, must contain the following, Bersih noted:

1. Remedial measures to be taken in case of floods - would it include an extension of polling hours, transportation assistance like boats, or mobile voting at flood relief centres? Would the polling at the affected constituencies, or GE15 in general, be postponed to wait out the floods?

2. What red lines would be crossed to escalate remedy? What percentage of voter turnout would justify the extension of polling hours? What percentage of voters/how many polling districts should be affected to postpone polls at the constituencies; and what percentage of constituencies affected would justify postponing GE15 nationwide?

3. Who are the persons involved in decision-making on the matter? Is it EC/its state directors/returning officers, or national/state/district disaster management committees? Or, is it the candidates or the contesting parties?

Could affect voters' choices

According to Bersih, any decision to delay the election, be it at a few affected constituencies, or the nationwide polls, could be controversial as it would affect the voters' choices, or cause the balance of power to hang in the air.

"However, not doing so may cause either avoidable loss of lives (especially election workers and police personnel) or suppression of votes, where flood victims are denied their right to determine the country’s and their state’s future," the group said, adding that any loss of life or property, or denial of voting right, could expose senior EC and Nadma officers to negligence suits,” it said.

Bersih added that worse still, this could sink the country into political instability, which the GE15 is supposedly meant to end.

“(This is as) government formation might be held back and political parties would be blaming each other when the drowning nation needs the leadership the most.

"Hence, Bersih calls for the EC and Nadma to produce a transparent and comprehensive SOP on how to handle election amidst floods, with an inclusive decision-making process to build cross-party consensus when difficult decisions need to be made to save lives and preserve democracy," it said.

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