I can understand the disappointment of our civil society colleagues that their suggestions have not been accepted. I expect there are other people, in the political parties and elsewhere, with their own suggestions who are also disappointed. All of us must put those disappointments to one side and concentrate on the job in hand. The NEC needs the best people to do the job. The National Election Committee is faced with an even more daunting task than the one in 1998.
Local elections are more complex.
We need technical expertise. We need to attract international and local funding. We need to attract the voluntary help of tens of thousands of our fellow citizens so that the electors' wishes are represented, recorded, and counted on the day. We need an electoral process that works well for 1,615 separate local elections. Please let us strengthen the team to restore the confidence that was lost in 1998.