PETALING JAYA, May 8 — The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) today demanded the national unity government honour past pledges for Parliament to vet appointments to the Election Commission.
Bersih executive director Ooi Kok Hin said the Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional have also already broken this promise twice since the 15th general election.
“The appointment of EC members is not overly complex, it marks an initial step to demonstrate a commitment to implementing reform agendas,” he said in a press conference here today.
He said the retirement of EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh later this month will allow the unity government to finally deliver on its pledge or to break it for a third time.
The next EC chairman will be crucial as the person will oversee matters such as the next redelineation and issues related to the lowered voting age and automatic voter registration that could have lasting implications to the country’s democracy, he said.
Bersih chairman Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said the latest EC appointment of Datuk Haji Sapdin Ibrahim was disappointing as it showed the national unity government’s lack of commitment to their election manifestos.
“The Madani government can rectify this failure by promptly announcing that the process of appointing a new EC chairman after the retirement of Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Salleh will be conducted through the establishment of a parliamentary select committee on electoral affairs.
“These criteria should prioritise fairness, integrity, a progressive mindset, and a determination to implement reforms,” he added.
He also said candidates to be the EC chairman must be politically independent and familiar with the workings of democracy.
The Bersih chief said a continued failure to deliver on this key election promise will expose the national unity government’s pledged of reform as nothing more than lip service.
