Kolkata, Nov 5 — Amid the ongoing debate over the electoral process and petitions being heard by the Supreme Court, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Quraishi has stressed that transparency remains the most important principle in ensuring public trust in elections.
He also said on Thursday that majority rules in Election Commission (EC), that is, CEC has no special powers when outvoted.
Speaking to IANS, the former CEC said the proceedings before the Supreme Court would help bring facts into the public domain and determine what was done correctly and where shortcomings, if any, existed.
He emphasised that transparency is essential in a democracy, regardless of the outcome of any legal challenge.
"So many questions are being raised and are now before the Supreme Court. The court's proceedings will make it clear what went wrong and what was done right. I do not know what lies behind the allegations or claims being made. But I know one thing for certain -- there must be transparency," he said.
According to the former CEC, transparency acts as a safeguard for democratic institutions.
"If any action is found to be improper or unlawful, judicial scrutiny provides an opportunity for the truth to emerge."
"Whether there are concerns about security, transparency, or any other aspect of the process, the matter is now before the Supreme Court. If something has been done incorrectly or illegally, the court's examination will bring that to light," Quraishi added.
The former CEC also referred to demands being made by some groups for fresh consideration of certain constituencies and for judicial intervention.
However, he noted that the Supreme Court would ultimately decide the course of action based on the facts and evidence placed before it.
Commenting on the functioning of the Election Commission of India, the former CEC highlighted that decisions within the Commission are taken collectively and not solely by the Chief Election Commissioner.
He said that the Commission functions on the principle of majority decision-making.
In every democracy, majority opinion prevails.
Within the Election Commission, there can be situations where the two Election Commissioners hold one view and the Chief Election Commissioner holds another.
"If the two Election Commissioners form the majority, then the CEC becomes part of the minority opinion," Quraishi said.
He underlined that in such a situation, the Chief Election Commissioner does not possess overriding authority to impose his viewpoint.
"The CEC has no power to pass an order contrary to the majority decision of the Commission. Decisions are taken collectively, and the majority view prevails," the former CEC noted.
His remarks come at a time when the electoral process is under intense public and judicial scrutiny, with the Supreme Court expected to play a crucial role in addressing the concerns raised and strengthening confidence in democratic institutions.