"You [reporters] are putting the election commissioners face to face which is not good for us. It is harmful for the image of the Election Commission," Zakaria told newsmen, who went to his office for his opinion on the prevailing situation in the EC following the High Court (HC) directives on voter list.

Zakaria said the EC is a constitutional institution and the post of the election commissioner is also constitutional. "It is not fair to hassle a constitutional post," he said.

Referring to Tuesday's incident, he said the reporters at first talked to the two new election commissioners and then to the two other election commissioners--M Munsef Ali and AK Mohammad Ali. "You are putting us face to face," Zakaria said in an annoyed tone, adding, "It has been too much. There needs to be a limit."

Zakaria also declined to say whether or not the task for preparing a fresh voter list is going on even after the HC directives for revising the existing one as "the matter is related to the court".

As the secretary to the EC Secretariat, Zakaria under the directives of the chief election commissioner (CEC) had ordered the filed level manpower to continue their task of preparing a fresh voter list, ignoring the January 4 guidelines of the HC.

Zakaria has worked in various posts at the EC Secretariat for the last 30 years. He was the secretary to the EC Secretariat from April 1, 2002, to January 15 this year, a day before his controversial appointment as an election commissioner.

After taking oaths, he blasted election commissioners M Munsef Ali and AK Mohammad Ali on Monday for opposing the ongoing fresh voter listing.

He became even more offensive to them on Tuesday. "They [Munsef and Mohammad] know nothing. They are illiterate. They have tarnished the image of the Election Commission by talking nonsense, which must be stopped right away," he said at a courtesy meeting with the EC Secretariat staffs.

During his tenure as the secretary to the EC Secretariat, Zakaria was engaged in conflict with former CEC MA Syed and has not attended any meeting of the EC for about last two years of Syed's tenure.

Under his direct patronisation, the EC Secretariat officials have been divided. The appointment of Zakaria to his new post was greeted with disappointment by many in the secretariat while sending the camp loyal to Zakaria into triumphant celebrations.