Nomination Day, One Rohee, Ten Returning Officers
I had to succumb? Despite quiet personal decisions not to participate, too robustly, in the current “conversations”, commentaries or debates regarding politics and current elections campaigning at this time, I couldn’t resist (?)
Anyhow, I do hope my perspectives today are somewhat different. Even if pointed. They have to do with the administering and management of national elections since 1964. Why 1964? It’s really easy to appreciate why I choose the period 1964-to-2015 (half of a century).
First, a relevant digression: I’m willing to wager that one former chairman of the National Elections Commission and its management/Secretariat, Dr. Steve Surujbally, would remind all interested that the elections he managed attracted the plaudits, even congratulatory endorsements of the International Observers who monitored them all. Can you blame him? All former Executives and managers of past elections since 1964 would obviously feel accomplished – whatever the evidence pointing to specific or Third World deficiencies regarding those electoral exercises.
