The Centre for Democracy and Dialogue has today shown its support to the amendment of the powers given to the Supervisor of Elections, saying that the current law is very dangerous.
While making submissions to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights, Centre CEO Nilesh Lal says these provisions currently allow the Supervisor of Elections to compel the disclosure of information, notwithstanding written laws relating to confidentiality, privilege or secrecy.
Insert: Lal on dangerous, 3rd Sep 26
Lal says there are parts of the Electoral Act that require serious reform.
He says, for instance, the Act gives extraordinary powers to the election administration, making the Supervisor of Elections one of the most powerful entities.
He adds that this is, in many respects, unprecedented.
Lal also highlighted legitimate democratic activities that he says have been unnecessarily criminalised.
He says there are restrictions on civil society, research and political expression, as well as public debate, that go significantly beyond what is required to protect electoral integrity.
The CEO says the Centre is not asking Parliament to dismantle the entire electoral framework, but to preserve what works, liberalise what is unnecessarily restrictive, correct what is poorly drafted and, equally importantly, avoid removing safeguards that continue to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
