http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/GU_keeps_re-election_decision_in_abeyance/rssarticleshow/3535811.cms
GU keeps re-election decision in abeyance 28 Sep 2008, 0545 hrs IST,TNN PANAJI: In a further twist to the election controversy, Goa University (GU) has decided to keep in abeyance its decision on re-elections to the executive union of the students' council at the Goa University. It may be recalled that on Friday, the GU had declared the elections 'null and void'. In a press release on Saturday, assistant registrar R R Bhatikar said that the decision to hold the order in abeyance was taken by professor A V Afonso, in-charge vice chancellor of GU with a view to find a solution to the vexed issue. 'The entire process of elections to the executive union of the students' council will now be referred to the executive council of the university for review,' he stated. The development came about even as members of the BJP's students' cell staged a protest against the registrar's order at the university on Saturday. Later addressing a press conference, opposition leader Manohar Parrikar said that the Congress was resorting to political pressure to quash the election results. "We asked our students' cell not to resort to violence, but protest in a democratic, but strong way. It was only after that, did the univeristy keep its decision in abeyance," Parrikar said. Referring to Friday's event where the GU announced that the elections were declared null and void, Parrikar said that such occurences did not even take place in Bihar. Commenting on the committee set up to inquire into complaints of alleged irregularities in the conduct of elections, the opposition leader said: "Who is this committee, what right do they have? What has happened is a direct murder of democracy. This does not even take place in Bihar," he said. "Ultimately, students are sufferers of bad politics," Parrikar added. It maybe recalled here that GU had issued a press release on Friday declaring re-elections. The release stated, "The decision to declare the elections null and void was taken after the Committee, which was set up to inquire into complaints of alleged irregularities in the conduct of elections, reported that the procedure followed in the conduct of elections by the directorate of students' welfare was not in accordance with statutory provisions." The note stated that re-elections to the executive union of the students' council will be held at the earliest. The release further stated that elections to the posts of University Class Representatives (UCRs) and University Faculty Representatives (UFRs) are, however, valid.
