Saturday, September 29 2007

In an immediate response to the announcement that the General Election would be held on November 5, Maha Sabha General Secretary Satnarine Maharaj said the Prime Minister should have been “more sensitive” when placing the date since major sections of the population, Hindus and Muslims, would be in the midst of religious celebrations.

Election is scheduled to take place four days prior to Divali when the Hindu population would be in engaging in fasting.

Maharaj also expressed concern that political campaigning also takes place when Muslims would be fasting for Eid -ul- Fitr on October 13.

He added that the election date was put when Divali celebrations would be intensified, thereby affording the politicians “ready-made platforms” for political campaigning. “The last time the Government held elections on a Hindu festival, that is Kartik Naam in 2005, they lost the elections,” said Maharaj.

He added that during that time the celebrations had to be re- scheduled from Monday to the day before to ensure that people could have voted.