Mizoram polls : Parties, Churches, NGOs again urge ECI to change vote counting date as Sunday is sacred day for Christians

Mizoram polls : Parties, Churches, NGOs again urge ECI to change vote
counting date as Sunday is sacred day for Christians

Aizawl, Nov 3 (IANS) Political parties, Churches, NGOs and civil society
organisations in Mizoram on Friday have once again urged the Election
Commission to reschedule the vote counting date of December 3 as Sundays
are sacred for Christians and worship services are held in all towns and
villages on that day

The elections to the 40-member Mizoram assembly would be held on November 7
and the counting of votes would take place on December 3 (Sunday).

Various political parties, Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), an
apex body of major churches, NGO Coordination Committee, a conglomerate of
major civil society organizations, various student bodies, Mizoram People's
Forum, a church-sponsored poll watchdog, jointly wrote to the Election
Commission through the state Chief Electoral Officer Madhup Vyas requesting
it to reschedule the counting date.

Since the announcement of the election schedule of Mizoram and four other
states -- Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Telangana on October
9, all political parties, NGOs, including Young Mizo Associations, church
bodies and civil society organisations have been demanding to reschedule
the counting date.

Dozens of letters and memorandum were sent to ECI to reschedule the
counting date.as Sunday is a sacred day for Christians, and the entire day
is devoted to church services across the state.

According to the 2011 Census, around 87 per cent of Mizoram population are
Christian.

Source: IANS