The District Administration of Chümoukedima has organized a special summary verification exercise for BLOs from Chümoukedima, Niuland and Medziphema Districts on 19th August, 2024 at the DPDB Hall, DC Office, Chümoukedima.
During the meeting, DC Chümoukedima, Polan John, NCS, explained that the ECI has over the years introduced new initiatives, programmes and activities to manage the electoral process. One of the most successful initiatives was the concept of BLOs introduced in 2006, which has since become an integral part of election management. He stressed that the role of BLOs in establishing election management is crucial. The ECI issues new directives, so officials need to stay updated with the latest instructions and parameters and be tech-savvy to handle apps as everything is managed online or through portals.
He pointed out that a clean voters’ register is essential for conducting fair elections; it must be accurate and up-to-date to reflect the true details for all voters. This summary revision provides an opportunity to clean up the electoral system by correcting facts, deleting transferred or expired entries and updating new eligible voters. Although the Election Commission or CEO may provide several instruction booklets, it is ultimately the responsibility of the BLO to properly implement these instructions at the grassroots level.
DC John assured that now that all the information is accessible online, the performance of the BLO can be monitored on the dashboard. He urged the officials concerned to carry out their duties responsibly and not to become lax in the summary audit but to ensure that the electoral process is strictly followed and conducted smoothly.
He also stressed the need to address issues of voter registration and gender inequality, which need to be reviewed. As the main interface with the public, polling stations must be open and responsive to assist and guide them. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of conducting a thorough house-to-house survey and urged all polling stations to visit every household to ascertain the true status of residents in their jurisdiction. He reminded polling stations that personal preferences should not affect their official work or lead to abuse of their privileges; they should remain neutral, impartial and transparent. In conclusion, the DC encouraged everyone to work together to ensure an error-free and healthy voters’ register, which will improve the election administration process.
ADC Chümoukedima Dr. Kuzonyi Wideo and ADC Medziphema also highlighted the activities and role of the BLOs.
MT
