Poll reforms can’t be delayed further
Electoral reforms have become a part of the public discussion in the course of the Anna Hazare campaign for a Lokpal aimed at curbing corruption. Some may question the need for the institution of the proposed Lokpal, but few are likely to question reform in our election processes. To many, in fact, changing electoral laws to ensure that crooks are kept out of legislatures is the key to minimising corruption in public affairs. The discussion on the subject has been on for nearly four decades. The time has come to clinch it. Now, under the force of circumstances, we may just get lucky with meaningful poll reforms.
In recent months, Mr Hazare, chief election commissioner S.Y. Qureshi and senior members of the government have been speaking in favour of electoral reforms. Unlike the crusader, however, the others have also noted the practical difficulties involved, or the possible elusiveness of consensus if a maximalist approach is underlined. The government has asked law minister Salman Khurshid to come up with ideas on the question of state funding of elections. Discussion is also alive on the issues of right to recall of legislators, as well as the voters’ right to reject all candidates in the fray in a constituency (the “none of the above” option). All these ideas have pros and cons, but they merit our attention. However, to attack the corruption question more directly, it is important that those with a criminal background must be stopped from entering the election arena, and the eligibility criteria for candidates have to be re-thought.
State funding of elections may bring about effective curbs on poll expenditure, provided it can be ensured that candidates are wholly barred from bringing personal or party funds into the picture. If not, state funding will amount to being the worst of both worlds. The right to recall — first raised by the redoubtable Jayaprakash Narayan — may be problematic on account of the very large electorates in every constituency. Even if only 10 per cent of voters can petition for the recall of their MLA or MP, verifying signatures can pose immense practical difficulties. The right to reject all candidates in a constituency does appear more viable in some respects. The CEC has argued that this can lead to political instability in a country like ours, perennially given to agitations. There is some merit in this. But we have to see if the idea is a feasible one on balance.
What is undeniable is that poll reforms brook no delay. We have to get cleaner women and men in public life: that is the first prerequisite for a cleaner government and a healthier political system.
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