[Goanet] NRIs get right to vote in Indian elections, promises Manmohan Singh

[Bruno Gomes]

Good News for Goans  for participating in next Assembly election. Please
Goans Apply your mind and Elect the Best candidate who will truly work for
Goa and Goans

Bruno Gomes

Switzerland

 

NRIs get right to vote in Indian elections, promises Manmohan Singh

 

JAIPUR: Fulfilling a long-standing demand of its diaspora, India on Sunday
said it would allow NRIs   to
vote and participate in the election process. 

"Pursuant to the law that was enacted to enable Non-resident Indians to vote
in our national elections, the government has issued notifications for
registration of overseas electors under the Representation of People Act,
1950," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
  said. 

"This constitutes the first major step to enable Indian residents abroad to
participate in our election process," the prime minister said while
addressing the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
  diaspora
  meet here. 

He said the diaspora plays an important role in the growth and development
of the country. The government recognises it, and was committed to address
their concerns and fulfil their demands. 

"The government and people of India recognise and value the important role
being played by Indian communities living abroad. We believe that Indian
diaspora has much more to contribute to the building of modern India," the
prime minister said. 

"We propose to facilitate, encourage and promote this engagement. Over the
past year, we have taken a number of steps towards this end," he added, as
he formally inaugurated the 10th annual diaspora meet, the Pravasi Bharatiya
Divas (PBD) here. 

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi
  said NRIs would be
able to exercise their franchise in upcoming elections. 

"Indian nationals living abroad can now exercise their franchise in India at
the time o f the elections," Ravi said. 

Now those NRIs who have registered with the embassies of their respective
countries of stay, would be eligible to vote in the upcoming assembly
elections in five states including Uttar Pradesh
 , Uttarakhand,
Punjab, Goa and Manipur. Polls will take place in these countries between
Jan 28 and March 3. 

Ravi said objective of the government was to further increase engagements
with diaspora. "Our objective is to raise the level of engagement to go
beyond mere investment related issues and address a broader agenda." 

"We believe that this will provide the vast majority of you the opportunity
to benefit from as well as contribute - each in your own way - to India's
development story," the minister said. 

Later talking to media person, Ravi said this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
(PBD) is the largest congregation of Indian diaspora. 

He said almost 1,900 delegates from around 60 countries were participating
in the three-day event.

 

 

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Re: [Goanet] NRIs get right to vote

[Gabriel de Figueiredo]

This talk about NRIs and voting ...

In the 80s, when I was in London as an Indian citizen, I was invited to join in 
the local and national voting, as I was a resident of London and a local 
tax-payer.  Besides, I was told, I had a right to vote as a Commonwealth 
citizen.   


It appears that though Britain treats (at least in my case, it did) Indian 
citizens as citizens of the British Commonwealth, India does not seem to want 
to 
reciprocate this relationship, when Goans, now citizens of the British 
Commonwealth, are not accorded this facility when personally in India. 



- Original Message 
> From: Vivian A. DSouza 
> To: goanet@lists.goanet.org
> Sent: Thu, 2 September, 2010 12:55:23 AM
> Subject: [Goanet] NRIs get right to vote
> 
> Lets be clear about this topic.  I am sure that what the Government wants to 
> do 
>
> is allow
> Indian Nationals abroad to vote in Elections in India by absentee ballots.  


  


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now available in Toronto, a few copies of *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by 
Selma Carvalho. Contact Bosco D'Mello
bo...@goanet.org (416) 803-7264
http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/

[Goanet] NRIs get right to vote

[Vivian A. DSouza]

Lets be clear about this topic.  I am sure that what the Government wants to do 
is allow
Indian Nationals abroad to vote in Elections in India by absentee ballots.  The 
term NRIs covers a lot of people.  Indians who have taken up UK, USA, Canadian, 
Australian citizenship
including yours truly are still loosely referred to as NRIs and even though 
they 
may have a
PIO or OCI card, they will not have the right to vote in India.  Many countries 
have the absentee ballot provision.  I am surprised that India which has its 
citizens living in various countries all around the world, still does not have 
this facility.  I am a US citizen living in India
and make it a point to vote in my local and national elections in the USA by 
absentee ballot.
The ballot is sent to me by mail and I mail it back.  I hope India extends this 
facility to all its
citizens no matter where they are.


  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now available in Toronto, a few copies of *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by 
Selma Carvalho. Contact Bosco D'Mello
bo...@goanet.org (416) 803-7264
http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/

[Goanet] NRIs get right to vote

[Goanet News Service]

NRIs get right to vote
PTI
NEW DELHI, AUG 31

Non-resident Indians (NRIs) will now have a right to vote in elections, 
with Parliament on Tuesday passing the relevant bill, even as government 
promised to bring in comprehensive electoral reforms legislation soon.


Replying to a debate on the Representation of People (Amendment) Bill, 
2010 to allow NRIs to exercise their franchise in Indian elections, Law 
Minister M Veerappa Moily said the government would hold a national 
consultation on comprehensive electoral reforms in two to three months.

Rajya Sabha had passed the bill yesterday.

“The Ministry is making all round efforts for comprehensive electoral 
reforms and we want to hold a national consultation on it in two to 
three months time,” Moily said, responding to the demand for complete 
electoral reforms from members.


He said the Election Commission had in its report on electoral reforms 
made 22 recommendations of which six had already been implemented.
The rest of the recommendations, he said, were currently being examined 
by a department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee and it would be 
taken up for implementation later.


Moily said the House had no “dispute” over the need for providing voting 
rights to NRIs, but members had views on the modalities for allowing 
that right, which would be addressed separately.


Describing the current amendment to the law as long-awaited, he said the 
current bill aimed to provide rights to those Indians, who had gone 
abroad for employment or education but have not obtained citizenship of 
the country they were residing now, to get registered in the electoral 
rolls and vote in elections to legislatures and Parliament.
Noting that 25 million Indians living broad were not able to participate 
in elections to the country’s legislative bodies, he said 25 nations 
globally had accorded such a right to its citizens living away from home 
country and that this right would not be unique for India.


Responding to members’ queries on the bill, Moily said internet voting 
was one option that the government would consider in the future once 
technical expertise and infrastructure was in place within the country, 
adding that such a facility was yet to be introduced in India.
“Let us look forward to that day,” he said, supporting the suggestion 
made by members.


He said NRIs would be allowed to register as voters in the constituency 
from where they had obtained their passports “to avoid multiplicity of 
registering in voters list.”


The Minister supported the option of registering in any constituency for 
NRIs irrespective of their passport address, but that issue would be 
resolved after finding a way to avoid “multiplicity” of registration.
On the coverage of the entire voting population under the Electors Photo 
Identity Card (EPIC), he said that would have been the “ideal state” and 
that the government would make all efforts towards that.
Earlier, participating in the debate, Uday Singh (BJP) said while the 
Election Commission had made comprehensive suggestions for electoral 
reforms, the government had chosen selectively those that suited them 
for implementation.


He also appealed to the Minister not to link registration in voters list 
to the passport address and allow their names to be included in 
electoral rolls in any constituency.


Singh wanted the Unique Identity Card to be used as voters identity and 
citizenship card.


P T Thomas (Cong) wanted the Minister to clarify if NRIs would be 
allowed to contest polls. But the Minister had already clarified in the 
Rajya Sabha that it would not be permitted.


T K S Elangovan (DMK) wanted to know if the election officials would 
have powers to delete names of NRIs from voters list if they changed 
their passport address and if punitive action would be taken against 
them if they did so arbitrarily.


B Mahtab (BJD) said it would be impossible for the NRIs to spend lakhs 
of rupees to visit India only to vote in elections and suggested that 
some other mode of voting should be allowed for them.


http://oheraldo.in/news/Main%20Page%20News/NRIs-get-right-to-vote/40470.html

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Now available in Toronto, a few copies of *Into The Diaspora Wilderness* by 
Selma Carvalho. Contact Bosco D'Mello
bo...@goanet.org (416) 803-7264
http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/