THE latest to join the chorus for going door to door for preparing the voter list is the newly appointed secretary to the election commission (EC). Even before taking over charges, he gave his comment on the subject that only echoes what the people have been saying all along. And the minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs has also reiterated the importance of visiting every house to register voters. It now remains for the EC to take the cue from there and proceed on with the solemn responsibility.

We have written volumes by now on the sequels of wrong moves made by the Election Commission (EC) in preparing a tenable voter list. The reason for devoting so much of our time and energy to the subject is that preparation of an authentic voter list is the first and foremost requirement for holding a free and fair election. Therefore, the entire exercise is of paramount importance for upholding our pledge for consolidating democracy at all levels of nation building.

But, strangely enough, EC under the leadership of the much-controversial chief election commissioner (CEC) has not only failed to accomplish the first task of preparing a voter list, it has in the process done a great deal of damage to the credibility of the office by undertaking a series of obstinate moves, including providing simplistic interpretation of their own of the Supreme Court directive. Next, they took the unilateral decision that the fresh list would be prepared without sending enumerators door to door. Obviously this latest decision drew heavy fire from all directions. On our part, we have been crying hoarse trying to drive the point home that people would ultimately reject an officecentered voter list. That our apprehension has proved to be true is amply reflected in the recent media reports of negligible response of the people to the call for registration. Even after relaxing some regulations there is insignificant turn out at the registration offices.

We would like to say once again that through our columns we are only voicing the apprehension in the minds of the people about the credibility of the election. We feel that time is running out, and that further delay would only increase the possibility of producing a flawed voter list. Therefore, the sooner the list is prepared following the rules of the book, the better for the nation.