Mizoram People's Forum seeks fair elections

Aizawl: A Church sponsored election watchdog in Mizoram today stressed that the the 4 December assembly polls should be free and fair with an inexpensive election campaign. Addressing a press conference in Aizawl, Mizoram People’s Forum chairman Rev Lalramliana Pachuau, said that as per the agreement signed with major political parties, candidates and political parties were not to undertake door-to-door canvassing from 23 November.[caption id=“attachment_1171373” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Wanting fair polls. Reuters[/caption] Pachuau, MPF moderator of the Presbyterian Church of India’s Mizoram Synod, said that all candidates, including independents, would be allowed to address a joint platform organised by the MPF for political parties. Earlier, the watchdog’s decision to exclude independents and un-registered party candidates from participating on the joint platforms had drawn flak from many quarters with many people accusing the MPF of being discriminatory. Political parties were allowed to have campaign offices in villages and urban localities, but were asked to make them inexpensive and simple, the MPF leaders said. Some churches, excluding the Baptist Church of Mizoram, the second largest church in the state, were members of the MPF. The MPF also included major NGOs including the Young Mizo Association, Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl or women’s federation and Mizoram Upa Pawl (MUP) or elders association. PTI