Next Indian Elections

(4 May 1999) Hindi/English/Nat

India's Election Commission has ended a nervous period of speculation by announcing a timeframe for the nation's elections -- the third in three years.

The country's 615 (m) million voters will go to the polls in September this year.

Elections became necessary after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's coalition government lost a parliament confidence vote in April, and no group of parties was able to form an alternative government.

The Election Commission's dilemma was whether to announce immediate voting in the scorching summer heat, or delay the polls and risk them being affected by the monsoon rains.

Following days of hectic deliberations with political parties, the chief of India's Election Commission emerged on Tuesday, to announce what the whole country was waiting to hear.

Parties have been sharply divided on when they want the polls and said the timing could affect their vote.

India's chief election official was clear about the objectives of the Election Commission.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The Commission cannot ignore doing an efficient job so as to maintain the good name of Indian democracy."
SUPER CAPTION: M.S. Gill, India's Chief Election Commissioner

Gill then announced when the elections would take place.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The Election Commission of India has come to the unanimous view, that in the given circumstances, the best possible timing for the elections, considering all factors, is the month of September and the first week of October 1999."
SUPER CAPTION: M.S. Gill, India's Chief Election Commissioner

September elections would put polling in the midst of the rainy monsoon season, but after the scorching heat of summer.

The relief on the faces of journalists attending the news conference was an indicator of how few people were looking forward to campaigning in the summer heat.

But the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had wanted a quick election, hoping to capitalise on a widespread feeling that it was brought down for no reason.

The fact that polling will take place at the end of the six month deadline set by the constitution has brought mixed reaction from the Indian people.

SOUNDBITE: (Hindi)
"People are scared of coming out in this heat. If elections were to be held in June, people wouldn't come out of their houses to cast their vote and the voting percentage would come down greatly. In September, at least the voting percentage would be high."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop

SOUNDBITE: (Hindi)
"With a coalition government in power, a longer waiting time for elections may cause a lot of problems. If the elections are held soon, people will at least remember what's been going on and so it is better to hold them quickly."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"If you consider the government which is there -- which is just a caretaker government. So it cannot take policy decisions, so in that way, it is hurting the industry and other things very badly."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox pop

The issue of how effectively the current caretaker government can actually govern in the meantime, is proving to be controversial.

India's 1950 constitution lists no regulations for caretaker governments.

By convention, Vajpayee was expected to look after only day-to-day governance and put
major decisions in limbo before the vote.

But already the government has defied the tradition to clear two infrastructure projects on Tuesday.

And it has previously warned against a lengthy term for a temporary government.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Pramod Mahajan, Indian Information Minister

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/

You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/418cfbc332c5bfee12eb44f444a35402