Latest news with #Procedure
The Herald Scotland
22-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Greens in turmoil as senior official quits in contests row
Ms Joester said she had not authorised the comments which had insisted the results were correct and had stood down from the post. "To clarify regarding the statement to the press on members' concerns about counting irregularities, this did not come from me as Internal Elections Officer and I am no longer in that post as of this evening," she posted on the party's internal communication channel last night. Her resignation then prompted the party to release a second statement which said there had been "a misunderstanding about the sign-off" of the statement to The Herald and that the information was accurate. READ MORE: "Several people have been in touch today about the methodology which has been used for counting the votes in our candidate selection process. We're posting tonight to provide more information to members," senior officials Zoe Clelland and Carolynn Scrimgeour told members in a message posted last night on the party's internal communications platform. "The content of the statement provided to and used by the press this evening is accurate, and had been shared with the Internal Elections Officer (IEO) in advance. Whilst there was clearly a misunderstanding about the sign-off that this had received which we apologise for, we stand by the content of the original statement and are therefore confident in its accuracy." They added: "The party's Operations Manager and former Internal Elections Officer were in contact with our external voting provider throughout our selection process, including to agree how votes were to be counted. Under our Selections Procedure, our candidate lists must be counted under a Single Transferable Vote (STV) system. "Upon receiving a number of enquiries today – it has been verified that the count was conducted using the Scottish STV system, specifically the Weighted Inclusive Gregory method, and was done as a bottom-up iterative process. "This is the process that the voting provider was asked to use. As the results came in from the provider, and before they were published, they were verified by the IEO and the rest of the Selection Board. The external voting provider have explicitly confirmed this included transferring the preferences of excluded candidates at each stage. We are content, therefore, that the voting process, and the results it produced, complies with the selections procedure. "We recognise the spreadsheets provided by the supplier may not be very easy to follow, even for members with experience of STV election results. We plan to ask the supplier to provide further guidance and detail to ensure the results can be examined with maximum transparency. Please bear with us while we explore this with the external voting provider. "To be clear, the party body responsible is satisfied that this process and the methodology used is compliant with our Selections Procedure; as such, all regional lists stand as they have been published." Shockwaves were sent through the Scottish Greens when the results of the candidate selection contests were announced. The race saw MSP Maggie Chapman ousted from the top place on the party's north east list by member Guy Ingerson. With polling suggesting the Greens will get just one MSP on the north east list, it means Ms Chapman, who was party co convener from 2013 to 2019, is unlikely to be re-elected to Holyrood in May next year. Ms Chapman came second behind Mr Ingerson, who used to work in her office. There has been tension between the pair since Mr Ingerson lodged bullying complaints against her. He claimed that Ms Chapman had badmouthed him to his new employer, Friends of the Earth Scotland — insinuating he was 'untrustworthy' and should be 'watched' — and had broken the party's code of conduct. The contest also saw the [[Scottish Greens]] co-leader Patrick Harvie see off a challenge from a radical faction in Glasgow to oust him as the party's top candidate in the city. The other co-leader, Lorna Slater, and Mr Harvie's ally Ross Greer also warded off challenges from radical Greens, claiming the top spot in Lothian and the West of Scotland respectively. Meanwhile, the party's leadership election is underway following a decision by Mr Harvie to stand down from his role as co-leader. Mr Greer is seen as the favourite to succeed him though he may face a challenge from the same group of Scottish Green eco-socialists, known as the Glasgow faction, who opposed Mr Harvie in Glasgow. They have been critical of how the Greens have operated in recent years, and opposed the Bute House agreement, which was a power-sharing deal between the SNP and Greens. It is understood that Ellie Gomersall, who was second placed on the Glasgow list, had concerns some votes were not transferred to her from candidates who were knocked out in earlier voting rounds. "Ellie has raised it with the party. She has asked for the count to be reviewed," one source told The Herald yesterday. Shetland Councillor Alex Armitage raised concerns about the count in the north east. "There's something that makes me feel uncomfortable and I want to flag it here," he wrote on a party internal communication channel which has been seen by The Herald. "I'm concerned about the selection process in the North East region, which I think should be thoroughly investigated by the party as soon as possible." The Scottish Greens and Ms Gomersall was contacted for comment.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Anil Masih fiasco fallout: Show of hands, not secret ballot, in next Chandigarh mayoral polls
The 2026 Chandigarh mayoral elections will be conducted through a show of hands instead of secret ballots — a fallout of the 2024 controversy in which then-presiding officer Anil Masih was caught on camera tampering with votes. In the 2024 mayoral elections, then presiding officer Anil Masih, a nominated councillor in the MC, was caught on camera invalidating eight votes cast in favour of AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, in an apparent attempt to secure victory for the BJP's Manoj Sonkar. (HT File) Following persistent demands from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress for greater transparency in the electoral process, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday approved an amendment to Regulation 6 of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996. With this amendment, the mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy Mayor will now be elected through a show of hands instead of the earlier secret-ballot method. Kataria said the new system will bring greater transparency in the election process and strengthen people's trust in democratic processes. The proposal had been sent to the administrator after it was cleared in the Chandigarh MC House. Since the establishment of the Chandigarh MC in 1996, mayoral elections have been conducted through secret ballots. In the 2024 mayoral elections, then presiding officer Anil Masih, a nominated councillor in the MC, was caught on camera invalidating eight votes cast in favour of AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, in an apparent attempt to secure victory for the BJP's Manoj Sonkar. The Supreme Court (SC) later ruled that the vote tampering was deliberate and overturned the results, declaring Dhalor the winner. This decision gave Chandigarh its first non-BJP, non-Congress mayor. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and damaged the BJP's credibility, as reflected in the subsequent Lok Sabha election results. During the MC House meeting in October 2024, AAP, led by former mayor Dhalor, along with its INDIA bloc alliance partner Congress, passed a resolution proposing that future elections be conducted through a show of hands. In January 2025, former mayor Dhalor filed a petition before the SC to replace the secret ballot system with open voting to ensure fairness. However, the SC refused to intervene and left the decision to the administration. The shift to an open voting system will benefit the party with the highest number of councillors, as any councillor wishing to vote for an opposition candidate will have to do so publicly. This will enable political parties to take disciplinary action against councillors who defy party lines. In the 2025 elections, the BJP secured the mayoral position through cross-voting, gaining three opposition votes from AAP and Congress councillors. However, with the new system, such manipulations will become difficult, as councillors will be required to publicly raise their hands to cast votes—similar to how resolutions on development projects and other issues are passed in the House. The mayoral elections are conducted by the deputy commissioner's office. Chandigarh currently lacks an anti-defection law, which allows councillors to switch parties before elections. As a result, party-switching among councillors has been a recurring issue before every election.
Indian Express
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In a step towards accountability, now Chandigarh mayoral polls be held via show of hands
In a bid to enhance transparency and accountability in the election process, the mayoral elections in Chandigarh will now be held through an open voting system — by a show of hands — instead of the long-followed secret ballot method. The decision comes after Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria approved an amendment to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996. Under the newly amended Regulation 6, the elections for the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh will now be conducted in the House by visible hand-raising. Kataria emphasised that this reform would ensure more transparent governance by holding elected representatives publicly accountable for their votes, while also streamlining the electoral process. The amendment was proposed and passed by the Municipal Corporation House and is empowered by Section 398(2) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, as extended to the Union Territory through the UT Act of 1994. This change follows a controversial 2024 mayoral election in which the presiding officer, Anil Masih — a nominated councillor — was caught on camera tampering with votes to benefit BJP's candidate Manoj Sonkar over the AAP-Congress nominee Kuldeep Kumar. The incident, condemned by the Supreme Court as a 'murder of democracy,' led to a historic verdict declaring Kumar the rightful mayor, giving Chandigarh its first non-BJP, non-Congress mayor. Following the debacle, Kumar, as Mayor, led a House resolution in October 2024 advocating a move to open voting. He even filed a petition in the Supreme Court before the 2025 elections requesting to replace secret ballots with a show of hands. While the court declined to intervene, it allowed the administration to take a call. The 2025 elections again saw controversy with BJP winning through alleged cross-voting from opposition councillors. With the new system in place, such behind-the-scenes vote manipulations will be significantly harder, as councillors will now cast votes in full public view — mirroring how other resolutions in the House are passed. The move aligns Chandigarh with several other municipalities adopting open voting mechanisms to strengthen democratic accountability and transparency. Meanwhile, Chandigarh Congress president H S Lucky welcomed the decision and thanked the Administrator for this step. He said the Chandigarh Congress and MP Manish Tewari had been demanding for allowing voting by showing of hands. 'This move will pave the way for cleaner politics and help in enhancing the image of Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh and its councillors who constantly face charges of horse trading,' he said in a statement (With PTI inputs)
South Wales Argus
25-05-2025
- Automotive
- South Wales Argus
Cwmbran: 40mph speed limit could be reduced to 20mph
Torfaen County Borough Council is proposing to change the speed limit on a section of the B4236 Caerleon Road. The revised speed limit would apply from a point 557 metres north west of its junction with Lamb Lane for a distance of 394 metres in a north westerly direction. This change is part of an amendment to the council's 2019 Traffic Regulation and Speed Limit Order. The council has consulted with the Chief Officer of Police about the proposed change. Residents are invited to view the proposed order, including maps showing the new restrictions, online at People can also submit any objections in writing, detailing the reasons for their objection. These should be sent to Torfaen County Borough Council, Resources Department, Legal Section, Civic Centre, Pontypool NP4 6YB. Alternatively, objections can also be emailed to The deadline for objections is June 11, 2025. The council has stated that the proposed order will have the effect of amending the Torfaen County Borough Council (Various Roads) (Traffic Regulation and Speed Limit) Consolidation Order 2019. The new speed limit is to be implemented as part of the revised map schedules specified in the order. The proposed changes have been made under the Local Authorities Traffic Order (Procedure) (England & Wales) Regulations 1996 and the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, along with other powers.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
MCD election for vacant Standing Committee seat, 4 House sittings on June 3
NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will hold an election on June 3 to fill a vacant seat in its Standing Committee. The vacancy arose after councillor Gajender Singh Daral resigned following his election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in February. In addition to the election, four General House meetings have also been scheduled for the same day. An official statement from the MCD said, 'After being elected as an MLA, Gajender Singh Daral, councillor from Mundka, resigned. This created a vacancy in the Standing Committee. As Daral was elected to the Committee from the Corporation's quota, according to Section 45 (5) of the DMC Act, 1957 (amended in 2022), the seat must be filled by councillors from among themselves during a Corporation meeting. His tenure was to begin from the date the Standing Committee is officially formed, which has not yet been decided.' The election will follow the process set out in Regulation 51 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1958. Another MCD statement said that a general meeting will be held at 2:00 PM on June 3. Following the Standing Committee election, the Corporation will also conduct three previously postponed meetings. These meetings, originally scheduled for January 2024, April 2025, and May 2025, will be held back-to-back at 4:00 pm, 4:10 pm and 4:20 pm on the same day. Last Monday, the MCD had already announced elections for two other vacant Standing Committee seats, scheduled for June 2. These vacancies also resulted from the resignation of councillors who were elected as MLAs. The councillors represented ward numbers 164 and 74 and were members of the Standing Committee from the South Zone Wards Committee and the City-SP Zone Wards Committee, respectively. These developments come amid major political changes within the MCD. After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) formed the municipal government, several of its councillors defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This shift helped the BJP win both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections, dealing a setback to the AAP.
