Corruption in PARWA EC Election 2011

Normally people think that corruption is giving or accepting money or any other favour for doing or getting such work done which is not permissible under law. This is a misconception. Corruption has many forms. Misuse of official position to favour self or harming others is corruption. Conspire to violate law to achieve a set objective is corruption. Withholding information to put self to advantage and others to disadvantage is corruption. The list is very long. What has transpired in PARWA EC Election 2011 is one or more of these forms of corruption.

Outgoing President misused his position to install himself as President for yet another term. As larger public opinion is against his continuation and wanted a CHANGE in the EC, he misused his position to ensure his re-election by not displaying the list of eligible / ineligible PARWA members for contesting and voting in the election. As per Election Officer's circular he was required to display the list on 20th April 2011. The list had not yet been displayed (27th April 2011). He had the nformation and made it sure that other contestents do not have it. He exploited it to his advantage and conspired with Election Officer in getting the nomination of one PARWA member (S C GUPTA) rejected, to prevent him to contest for the post of President, so that he himself is elected unopposed.

The last date for filing nominations was 24th April 2011. If the list was displayed on 20th April 2011, any member who was not eligible but wanted to contest, could have known about his ineligibility and could have taken necessary action to become eligible. Afterall the purpose of displaying the list is to ensure that all residents participate in the election. The purpose can not be to prevent some residents from contesting the election. But the outgoing President misused his official position to ensure that a willing resident is prevented from contesting for the post of President, so that he himself is elected unopposed.

The outgoing President has indulged in corruption by misusing his official position to get himself elected upopposed. He had vitiated the election process. He had put a big question mark on the impartiality of election process.

In the interest of justice and fairplay, the election process should be immediately suspended, and the issue of corruption relating to misuse of official position by the outgoing President should be discussed in the Genral Body meeting scheduled for 1st May 2011.