April 16, 2005 To, The Administrator, Goanet, Via: e-mail.
Kind Attention Mr. ............. Sir, Subject: Press Statement. Hereunder please find the Press Statement issued by Goa Su-Raj Party on the front page headline news in the Goa's dailies captioned 'CEC for ban on Independents" for kind favour of publication. Thanking you, for Goa Su-Raj Party. Sd/- (Floriano C. Lobo) President Press Statement The Goa Su-Raj Party appreciates and welcomes the decision of the Chief Election Commissioner Mr. T.S. Khrisna Murthy to press for the 'Ban' on Independent candidates in the Parliamentary and State Legislative Assembly elections. The CEC having cited Goa as an example, vindicates our party's uncompromising stand that independents, however principled they may be, are rank opportunists, who take up the cause of the development of the respective constituencies to shovel dust in the eyes of the people. We believe that the CEC had Goa's Felipe Neri Rodrigues in mind when he made the sweeping statement. Goa Su-Raj party, however, begs to differ with the CEC's offered alternative of the two-year ban on Independents from being part of any government. This will again open up Pandora's Box just like the 1/3rd requirement for splits in the respective party to escape anti-defection law, where Goa showed the way. The Goa Su-Raj Party upholds the CEC's decision to push for the ban on 'Independents' altogether, believing that voters must choose the contesting Parties on their individual ideological strengths and their written down road map towards good governance rather than on the strength of the individual candidates they may choose to field. End.
