GUWAHATI, May 12 � The stage is set for the counting of votes of the elections to the Assam Legislative Assembly tomorrow, which will bring an end to the month-long speculations about the election results.
The gap of more than a month between the days of polls and counting, the speculations and the results of exit polls added to the tension among the candidates and leaders of the political parties.
Commenting on the preparations for the counting of votes, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Assam, H Narzary said that all preparations are complete for the counting and hoped that all the results would be declared by tomorrow evening.
Talking to The Assam Tribune, Narzary said that a video conference with the district election officers and returning officers was held this morning to review the preparations for counting and all the 80 observers appointed by the Election Commission (EC) have reached the constituencies allotted to them.
The CEO said that the process of counting of votes would start at 8 am tomorrow with the counting of the postal ballots and then the electronic voting machines would be opened. The counting would take place in 142 halls in 48 counting centres and as many as 1792 counting tables would be used.
Narzary said that the entire process of counting of votes would be video graphed and CCTV cameras have already been installed for the purpose. He revealed that the Election Commission this time decided to provide a copy of the recording of the counting process to all the candidates to avoid any controversy.
The results would also be updated from time to time in the website of the Election Commission.
India ratifies UN move against corruption
Kabul, May 12 � India today ratified UN Convention Against Corruption which will help it deal with the problem of black money and corruption through legislative and administrative measures, reports PTI
The Convention, ratified six years after it was signed by India, will help the government to seize illicit money and assets, Indian government officials said.
�India has completed the process of ratification of UN Convention Against Corruption,� an official said.
According to the UN Convention, each member country shall �consider adopting appropriate legislative and administrative measures, consistent with the objectives of this Convention and in accordance with the fundamental principles of its domestic law, to prescribe criteria concerning candidature for and election to public office.�
It also prescribes disciplinary or other measures against public officials who violate the codes or standards established in accordance with this article.
�The ratification of the Convention is reaffirmation of our government�s commitment to fight corruption and to undertake vigorously administrative and legal reforms to enable our law enforcement agencies to recover illicit assets stolen by corrupt practices,� the official said.
The completion of the ratification process has been under active consideration of the Indian government since September last year, the official said.
A Group of Ministers has been overseeing the ratification process.
Before ratifying the UN Convention, government was required to make changes in domestic laws to have more transparency in funding election campaigns and political parties among other crucial legislative steps to bring it at par with the international instrument.
The Convention has already been inked by 140 countries.
In the backdrop of agitation by Anna Hazare-led civil society activists, questions had been raised recently on why India was not ratifying the convention even six years after signing it.
