Re: Politicians - Reverse veil decision!
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Posted by Montreal Gazette on 08:40:19 2007/09/08
In Reply to:
Re: Levée de boucliers - General outcry posted by Radio-Canada
Elections Canada urged to reverse veil decision
Elizabeth Thompson
CanWest News Service
Friday, September 07, 2007
OTTAWA -- A Conservative member of cabinet called Friday on Elections Canada to review its decision to allow Muslim women to vote with their faces covered by niqabs or burkas.
"We disagree with Election Canada's decision," said Conservative Democratic Reform Minister Peter Van Loan. "It just doesn't make sense. Common sense is being trumped by political correctness. It's the kind of thing that results in ordinary people just shaking their heads."
Van Loan's comments came as two other federal political parties -- the Liberals and the Bloc Quebecois also called on Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand to require all voters show their faces in order to vote -- even those whose faces are normally covered for religious reasons. Liberal leader Stephane Dion said veiled women should have to unveil their faces so their identities can be confirmed but that Elections Canada should ensure that female officials are on hand so that the voter's values and privacy are respected.
Thomas Mulcair, the New Democrats Quebec lieutenant, backed that idea, advanced by the Canadian Islamic Congress, but fell short of calling on Mayrand to change the guidelines he has set.
Elections Canada says it has no plans to alter its guidelines.
The calls came as controversy erupted Friday over the rules that will govern the three upcoming byelections in Quebec and future votes across Canada when it comes to how exactly voters will be required to identify themselves in order to vote. The furor echoed a similar one during Quebec's provincial election earlier this year in which Quebec's chief electoral officer ended up backing down and required veiled women to show their faces to vote.
Until recently, whether a voter wore a niqab or a burka generally wasn't an issue because there was nothing in Canada's elections law that required a voter to show their face or provide photo ID, explained Elections Canada spokesman John Enright. As long as the voter could satisfy Elections Canada officials that they were Canadian citizens and lived in the riding, their faces didn't really enter into the process.
However, under changes to the Elections Act that came into effect this summer, voters across Canada are now required to produce photo identification in order to vote. With that requirement came the need for election officials to be able to compare the photo on the identification to the person seeking to vote.
Those rules were outlined by Mayrand in great detail to representatives of all federal political parties during a conference call July 24.
At the time, there were no objection to the guidelines from any of the parties present, confirmed Enright.
But on Friday as debate swirled over the touchy issue, it was a very different story.
Mohamed Elmasry of the Canadian Islamic Congress said the issue doesn't have to be such a controversial one. The solution, he said is as simple as having women who wear the niqab show their faces to female elections officials.
"We don't want to force anybody to change their religious inclination and beliefs," he explained, pointing out it is also important for women from religious minorities to vote. "At the same time there is a certain level of integrity in the election process that we must maintain."
In Sherbrooke, Premier Jean Charest added his voice to those calling for the federal chief electoral officer to follow Quebec's example and require veiled voters to show their faces.
"It's a bad decision," Charest said. "The federal chief electoral officer should do what we did in Quebec."
"Every voter should clearly identify themself," Charest said. "In my eyes. it's as simple as that."
Action democratique du Quebec leader Mario Dumont joined the chorus: "I am really surprised to see that and it's an error. In our mind, it's clear, and the law states very clearly that you need an ID with photo (to vote). Well, if they are asking for a photo, it's because they want to compare it with a person's face.
"Everyone has to comply to that law and I don't see why some citizens could be shielded."
Montreal Gazette
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