As part of the SVEEP initiative, a State Level seminar on Clean Election was organized by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer Nagaland with participants from various Church associations of Nagaland on 26th September, 2023 at De Oriental Grand, Kohima. The main purpose of the seminar was to help augment the ongoing Clean Election Movement of the NBCC and to provide a platform where there is an exchange of information and ideas to take the movement forward. T. Mhabemo Yanthan, IAS, Commissioner of Nagaland graced the programme as the Guest of Honour and Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, General Secretary, Nagaland Baptist Church Council also attended the seminar as Special Guest.
In his introductory address, Ruokuovituo Khezhie, CEO (Officiating) Nagaland stressed on the importance of having a clean and clear electoral roll which is the only document to prove the authenticity of a voter. He also expressed that SVEEP is one of the flagship programmes of the ECI to create awareness on registration of name in the electoral roll and ensuring ethical, informed and inclusive election. He hoped that with this seminar there would be a positive outcome in regard to clean election in the spirit of ‘one man one vote’ where every eligible voter can vote without any inducement, fear or intimidation.
In his address, Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, General Secretary, Nagaland Baptist Church Council, stated that voting is a universal, democratic exercise of one’s right, sacred and unique, however that the right to vote has become the most abused and misused power in our context. He stated that the right to vote is a gift but some people are denied the use of this gift, while some people disregard it because they feel frustrated, and some people misuse or over use it, and still some use it as a bargaining chip for selfish benefits. He expressed the concern of the Church in this regard and stated that the devastating tentacles of state elections have spread to all aspects of the Naga life: individuals, family village, church, tribe, traditional and government institutions. He further described this as the biggest force eroding the moral foundation, as well as the future of our generations and that Clean Election movement is everyone’s business. He stressed that the church will continue to assert that clean Election movement is a spiritual issue for Christians and that it is the responsibility of believers to work in building a democratic and ethically acceptable process of election in Nagaland.
Guest of Honour, T. Mhabemo Yanthan, IAS, Commissioner Nagaland stated that during elections we see the collapse of our Christian faith, collapse of our moral and ethical integrity. Institutions that are expected to stand during the most critical times have failed time and again. Integrity and accountability of such institutions are crucial paramount for sustenance of a just and acceptable society. The sanctity of such critical institutions needs to be protected. He also stated that only two distinctive options; either to exist with a sense of helplessness and continue to accept the brutally collapsed system or choose to stand up and become aggressively assertive to build a widely acceptable system.
The programme was chaired and moderated by Sharon Longchari, Joint CEO, Nagaland and Rev. Kedo Peseyie, City Church Kohima delivered the invocation prayer. The seminar also included technical sessions with resource persons from both the CEO’s office and the Church establishment. The resource persons were Awa Lorin, Joint CEO (Topic- Legal Provisions on Electoral Roll and Conduct of Elections), Toshimeren Aier, Assistant CEO (Topic- Reflections on State Assembly Election, 2023), Dr. Villo Naleo, Convenor, Clean Election Movement, NBCC (Topic- Clean Election as a platform for ushering desirable change) and Dr. Pangernungba Kichu, Professor of Society, Christan Ethics and Contextual Theology, Oriental Theological Seminary, Chumoukedima (Topic- Clean Election Movement Challenges and tasks ahead).
(DIPR)
