Indias chief election commissioner, James Michael Lyngdoh, since his appointment in 2001, has had to negotiate elections in two of Indias most troubled states - Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir. His contribution has earned him this years prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for Government Service.
CNNs Lorraine Hahn caught up with Lyngdoh at the awards ceremony in Manila. The interview will be telecast on CNN on Saturday, October 16, at 6.00 pm, with repeats on Sunday, October 19, at 4.00 pm and on Tuesday, October 21, at 6.00 pm.
Lyngdoh tells Hahn why he disagreed with chief minister Narendra Modi on holding snap polls in Gujarat shortly after the Godhra riots. He said, We sent a team before us, and they went around and found that hundreds of thousands of people had drifted because of the riots and there was a lot of fear. Obviously, those two things had to be settled before any election could take place.
In his opinion, its not Indias electoral system that has to be improved, but essentially the polls have to improve. And the polls will improve only if citizens are alert. Citizens should insist they get better people. Citizens should insist they don't get criminals as they're getting today.
Lorraine Hahn also talks to Lyngdoh about the beginnings of his career in the civil service, his familys influence on that early decision, his personal life and what lies beyond the election arena.
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