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Understanding Electoral
Reforms:
The growth of a fair democracy
depends on fair electoral process. Though we have had elections and
elected representatives regularly there is no doubt that there has always
been a flawed electoral process, which is increasingly alienated public-spirited
citizens from the whole political and electoral process. There are
issues to be be addressed like preventing money power, muscle power, organised
rigging, eliminating bogus votes and errors in electoral rolls. etc
There are also issues which relate to the internal democracy in political
parties, measures to limit campaign expenditure, issue of voters identity
cards and integration of the electronic revolution in the electoral process.(Source:
Debate for Reforms:Concept Papers, Dept of Culture, Govt of India [R.B50.600])
Further reading material on Understanding the need for Electoral Reforms:
Criminalisation of Politics:
Electoral Reforms should
be the first and vital step in our struggle for holistic democratic reform
to build a strong, self-governing just india with all citizens enjoying
peace, freedom, harmony and dignity.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in December 1999 culminated in a landmark Supreme Court Judgement on May 2, 2002 and an ordinance on electoral reforms promulgated in August 2002. The Ordinance was subsequently passed as a Bill in December 2002. It partially overturned the May 2, 2002 Supreme Court Judgement, requiring disclosure of criminal background, but not of financial and educational background. ADR and two other petitioners challenged this Act. The Supreme Court in a second landmark Judgement on March 13, 2003 struck down the Bill as unconstitutional and restored its earlier order. Subsequently, the Election Commission issued orders implementing the judgement.
Supreme Court Judgment - 02 May 2002
THE REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2002.
Memorandum
to The President of India
President
Returns the Ordinance
President's
Remarks on Ordinance
President Ascents
the Ordinance
Election Watch
The Association
for Democratic Reforms(www.adrindia.org) is an Ahmedabad based non-political,
non-partisan group of professors of the Indian Institute of Management
Ahmedabad (IIMA) and the National Institute of Design (NID) and alumni
of IIMA. ADR has been working on improving governance and strengthening
democracy in India for the last 3 years.
| All of us who
are working for protecting and upholding civil rights of the citizens of
this country are deeply concerned with deteriorating democratic polity
of the country. The increasing role and interference of muscle and money
power in elections on the one hand, and exploitation of the electorate
on caste and religious sentiments on the other, is a cause of concern for
all right thinking persons. It is true that our democracy has survived
despite all odds and despite deteriorating moral values in the society.
It is equally true that standards of parliamentary debates and democratic
values are also deteriorating fast. In the aforesaid background the 170th
Law Commission's Suo Motu report on election reforms is a welcome sign;
it also strengthens our belief that constitutional institutions of the
country like Law Commission of India are alive to this situation and has
come forward with 170th Report which we welcome.
However, we feel that the present report of the law Commission may not be allowed to be shelved like many other law Commission reports suggesting reforms in our legal system. We have called for debate on the report and have requested eminent social and political thinkers to express their view on the report and have -also requested various political parties to participate in this discussion. It is heartening that all concerned have agreed to debate the issue and it is more heartening that on our request the Chairman of Law Commission of India, Justice B.P. Jeevan Reddy has also agreed to be here, to listen to comments of speakers. [Justice Reddy declined to attend the seminar at the last moment]. Proposed electoral reforms, A preliminary introduction - R.B. Mehrotra, President, PUCL-Delhi |
CED Electronic Documents
on Electoral Reforms
Compiled by Nalini, 2002
CED Copyright and Copyleft:
This Digest aims at promoting public debate
in public interest
