Speaking at a roundtable discussion on the EC’s latest redelineation exercise at Brickfields Asia College here today, Kuthubul said the people were under the impression that the EC’s purpose is to ensure BN remains in power.

“I made a quick Google search on the EC and in Wikipedia it is stated that ‘the EC is set up for the purpose of ensuring BN’s victory’.

“It must ensure electoral integrity and the principles of electoral democracy.”

He pointed out that EC’s members were appointed by the prime minister.

“The EC is under the PM’s Department. It is the PM’s responsibility to pass the redelineation exercise and it is the PM who appoints the members, some of whom are retired government servants.”

Kuthubul also mentioned that in the 2013 General Election, BN won 60 per cent of the seats with only 46 per cent of the popular vote.

“It is clear what the EC has been doing and it is not right.

“We need to take lessons from other democracies.”

He cited New Zealand where its EC is appointed by the justice ministry and where its post offices are in charge of registering voters and the police are in charge of investigating breaches of electoral laws.

“This just shows that power is given to different bodies to provide some check and balance.”