'Two RCIs needed on electoral system and local elections'

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) calls upon all political parties to commit to appointing two Royal Commissions of Inquiry (RCIs) on Malaysia’s electoral system and local elections if they win power.

Bersih stresses, regardless whichever parties or coalitions win, Malaysian politics will continue to be plagued by communalism and corruption, if how our federal, state and local governments are put in their place is not fundamentally reformed.

However, Malaysians need to deliberate and debate on concrete alternatives that must be in a package, so that the new system can have the widest possible acceptability and legitimacy. This makes the RCIs the best way to ensure an inclusive national conversation before any changes.

If a national consensus is reached, the proposed changes can then be introduced before the 15th general election (GE15). Otherwise, the proposals can be decided in the GE15 as voters can choose to support parties which support or oppose the changes.

As the establishing of RCIs are not the same as imposing change abruptly, refusal to do so means a party is totally against reforms to our electoral system and local governments. Voters must use their votes to pressure parties into committing to these two RCIs.

Bersih would like to suggest the concrete scope of these two proposed RCIs, and call upon all pro-democracy groups and individual citizens to deepen the discussion.

The first RCI should study the functioning of elections and parties, which should include:

• The electoral system, to promote vote-seat proportionality and political inclusion of all communities and segments in Malaysia

• Electoral rolls, automatic voter registration and absentee voting

• Funding for party operation and election campaigns

• Campaign and media freedom during and off-election

• Caretaker government and administrative neutrality

• Reform of the Election Commission

The EC’s blatantly unconstitutional acts, from the extremely partisan delineation review, now being rushed to be tabled in the Parliament, to the arbitrary extension of postal and advanced voting facility, and the inclusion of military voters in uncompleted barracks, suggest the entire system is broken and has become a national threat under seven ex-senior civil servants (who sit as commissioners in the EC) without any sense of integrity and shame.

The second RCI should study the consolidation and democratisation of our local governments, 50 years after the Athi-Nahappan Commission, which must include:

• An audit on the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution to propose a reasonable division of power between federal, state and local governments, to ensure viability and relevance of state governments after introduction of local elections;

• Consolidation of local authorities and district office into one body with commensurate administrative, legislative and financial powers;

• Electoral system and suffrage for local elections to ensure vote-seat proportionality and political inclusion of all communities and segments in Malaysia.

The 2008 political tsunami would be 10 years old in Malaysia. The little discussion on electoral system change and local elections in the past 10 years is our collective failure and must not be allowed to persist for another decade.

#SatukanTenagaLawanPenipuan

---

BERSIH is a coalition of NGOs seeking to reform the current electoral system in Malaysia to ensure free, clean and fair elections. - Mkini