International Indian School Jeddah Principal and Election Commissioner Syed Masood Ahmed (second from left) speaks at a press conference in Jeddah, Monday. Head of Chancery and the School Observer Muhammad Raghib Qureshi (second from right) is also seen. — SG photo by Hassan Cheruppa Hassan Cheruppa Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — All preparations are in place to hold free and fair elections to the new managing committee of the International Indian School-Jeddah (IISJ), according to Election Commissioner and IISJ Principal Syed Masood Ahmed. Polling will start at 9 a.m. and continue till 5 p.m. at IISJ Boys' Section on Thursday, he said adding that about 80 school staff and officials have been deployed at 20 polling booths to make the process smooth and efficient. Addressing a press conference Monday evening, Masood said that counting of votes will be done immediately after the polling and the Ministry of Education observer will declare the result. He said that only the parents whose names are included in the final list of voters displayed on the website and the notice boards will be eligible to vote. “Each parent will have to vote for seven candidates and voting for more or less than seven candidates will render the ballot invalid. Only one parent (either father or mother) is eligible to vote,” he said. Referring to the election procedures, Masood said that voters must produce the valid original residency permit (iqama) for verification and if the original iqama is not available, photocopy of the same duly attested in original by the sponsor can be presented. The voters should also carry a copy of the latest fee receipt or passport copy for reference. Masood rejected allegations raised by some candidates following rejection of their nomination papers. He said that the 40-day long election process is totally transparent and is in full conformity with the norms stipulated in the school charter. He specially mentioned the discrepancies in the name of Mohan Balan, one of these candidates. “His name in the passport, provisional degree certificate and photocopy of the original certificate are different. He also failed to submit his original degrees of B.Com and M.Com, and the documents he submitted showed that he passed master's degree (1978) before the bachelor's degree that he got in 1982,” Masood pointed out. Head of Chancery and the School Observer Muhammad Raghib Qureshi, Election Commission members — Sanal Balakrishnan and Aqeel Jameel — also attended the press meet. Meanwhile, the Indian School Parents Forum (ISPAF) has urged the election commissioner to arrange a session for parents at IISJ latest by Wednesday to meet all the nine candidates where they shall present themselves, focusing on their capabilities, area of expertise, their plan for the school etc. “This will help the parents to choose the preferred candidates to exercise their franchise effectively and meaningfully,” the forum said in a statement.
