If the election commission is directly controlled by the government and does not act fairly on complaints, what will weaken?

Correct answer: Independence and trust in the electoral authority

Correct answer: A, independence and trust in the electoral authority. A democratic election needs an electoral body that can apply rules impartially to the government, ruling party, opposition, candidates, and voters. If the commission is controlled by the government and ignores complaints selectively, participants may believe that rules are being used to help one side. This damages institutional independence and public confidence, even if voting still occurs. B is wrong because the age requirement for voters is a separate legal matter. C is wrong because manifesto length has no direct connection with the neutrality of election administration. D is irrelevant to fairness and public trust. The key idea is institutional neutrality: an authority supervising competition must not act as a contestant’s helper. Memory cue: fair referee, fair match; a controlled referee cannot inspire trust.