Election process needs restructuring

The Election Commission has suggested that the entire poll expenses of candidates be born by the Government and political parties and candidates be disallowed to spend an extra rupee. The proposal is likely to get the approval of all political parties as they already have an enviable record of joining hands on matters of mutual interest and issues of national importance. The expenditure on this account will be colossal and the Government will have to either find additional sources or curtail the development expenditure. However this would not be in the larger interest of the nation. Moreover state funding of elections is not the panacea for curbing money-power in elections. Here are a few suggestions for consideration. Poll expenses should be realistically fixed and vigorously monitored and the amount should be periodically revised taking into account inflation. Posters should be completely banned, this would help prevent disfiguring of walls and buildings, both private and public. The number of meetings should be fixed and if possible all candidates should be allowed to share their views on a common platform. The annual accounts of all political parties should be compulsorily audited by Chartered Accountant s or Government Auditors, appointed by the Election commission. If any political party fails to produce audited accounts for two consecutive years its right to contest elections should be forfeited.Internal democracy should be maintained in all political parties. Elections should be held in the presence of an observer nominated by the Election Commission. Various posts in the party should be held by election and not by nomination. Parties should furnish the criminal antecedents of the candidates contesting elections. The assets and liabilities of candidates should be filed at the time of filing nominations.Political parties should file a report indicating promises vs. performance of the last election explaining the reasons for non performance or shortfall.Political parties or candidates should indicate the source of funds to meet the promises given in the manifesto. Deposits for contesting election should be suitably raised to prevent non serious candidates from contesting elections. Candidates who get less than a prescribed minimum votes should be debarred from contesting election for some years. Those who lose the Assembly or Lok Sabha elections should be debarred from contesting for Rajya Sabha seats for say the next 3 years. Moreover all the documents filed with the Election Commission should be accessible to the electorate through the payment of a nominal fee.It is suggested that there should be radical reforms in the election process to make it more transparent, corruption free and free from money and muscle power. The largest democracy of the world should also become the greatest democracy of the world.