Date:31/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/31/stories/2006033117980300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Independent watch over election process

Staff Reporter

A meet organised at Gokale Sastri Hall The initiative seeks to ensure that all parties contest the elections with transparency and accountability

CHENNAI : Election Watch, Tamilnadu, an independent citizens initiative to keep a watch over the election process, will meet at Gokale Sastri Hall, Mylapore,at 6 p.m. on Friday.

The initiative seeks to ensure that all parties contest with transparency and accountability and that the elections are conducted in a fair and peacefulmanner.

Experiences shared

Trilochan Sastry of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and Sowmya Kidambi of MKSS Rajasthan met members of different groups to share their experience of similar `Election Watch' groups in some of the northern States two weeks ago.

Representatives of human rights organisations, consumer and other groups who attended the meeting felt it would be useful to form a similar Citizens Election Watch Group in the state.

After several small meetings, the organisers have now invited concerned citizens and all those who are interested on Friday.

Representatives of the People's Union for Civil Liberties and the Catalyst Trust are among the conveners.

The meeting will be held regularly every Friday evening at the Gokale Sastri Hall (22, Karpagambal Nagar, Mylapore).