As part of 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 at De Oriental Grand, Kohima on September 26.
The main purpose of the seminar was to help augment the ongoing Clean Election Movement of NBCC and to provide a platform and exchange of information and ideas to take the movement forward.
In his introductory address, CEO (Officiating) Ruokuovituo Khezhie, Nagaland stressed on the importance of having a clean and clear electoral roll which was the only document to prove the authenticity of a voter. He said that SVEEP was 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.
Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) general secretary Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, in his speech said that voting was 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 today’s context. He stated that the right to vote was a gift but some people were denied while some people disregard it because they feel frustrated, and some misuse or over use it for selfish benefits. He said that the church will continue to assert that clean Election movement as a spiritual issue for Christians and that it was the responsibility of believers to work in building a democratic and ethically acceptable process of election in Nagaland.
Guest of Honour, Commissioner Nagaland T. Mhabemo Yanthan, spoke on the how moral and ethical integrity of the people were sold during election.
He said institutions that were expected to stand during the most critical times have failed time and again. The programme was chaired and moderated by joint CEO, Nagaland Sharon Longchari, and Rev. Kedo Peseyie, City Church Kohima said the invocation.
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).