It is time to have a debate on proportional representation, says ex-CEC S.Y. Quraishi

It is time to have a debate on proportional representation, says ex-CEC S.Y. Quraishi

Context:

• Various electoral reforms are currently being debated, from improving transparency in party funding to holding simultaneous elections.

Electoral bonds:

•   Electoral bonds, as announced by the Union Finance Minister, hold the promise of making political funding transparent, which has been a long-standing demand of the Election Commission (EC).

Benefit of electoral bonds:

• Cash transactions will not happen as people will have to buy bonds through the bank.

Why electoral bonds are significant?

• Without transparency in political funding, free and fair elections.
• The government has decided to give precedence to the donors’ wish to be anonymous.
• There was a CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) report of 2015 which said that donors want anonymity for two reasons:

1-      other parties would make a beeline for their donations, and

2-      Fear of political reprisal from those not getting the donation.

• The donors’ desire for transparency has got preference over citizens’ desire for transparency and the people’s right to know, which is more important in a democracy and critical for the fairness of elections.

Has there been any reprisal against a donor in the past?

• The solution lies in having a National Electoral Fund, where companies can donate without indicating preference for any political party and thereby avoiding the reprisal they claim to fear.
• The fund can be distributed transparently on the basis of actual performance.

Will that money be enough for political parties?

• Between 2009 and 2014, the total donation shown by all political parties was ₹4,000 crore.
• With all their efforts at blackmailing, arm-twisting and corruption, they got ₹4,000 crore.
• They get ₹5,500 crore with dignity, by cheque, based on their performance, on objective criteria.
• All political parties have been demanding an end to electoral corruption, and state funding of elections.

Simultaneous elections:

Arguments in favour:

•  People love elections as the vote is the only power they have.
•  Election time provides work opportunities to lakhs of youth
• Frequent elections are good for the economy as the money goes from the rich to the poor.
• National and local issues don’t get mixed up.
•  Regional parties have an increasingly important role to play.

Argument against:

• Dislocation of normal life.
• Huge cost involved.
•  Money in elections is the fountainhead of all corruption.
•  Communalism and casteism are at a peak during elections.
• Hateful, divisive politics is the consequence of frequent elections.

First- past –the post system (FPTP):

•  There is demand for replacing FPTP with proportional representation (PR).

Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT):

• Every political party has raised questions about EVMs at different times.
•  In any case, after introduction of voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT), there is no ground left to quibble.
• VVPAT makes the system transparent and foolproof.
•  The EC has now committed to the Supreme Court that every election in future would be with 100% VVPAT.
• The Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections were the first-ever full VVPAT elections.

Credibility of the EC:

• The problem lies in the process of appointment of Election Commissioners.
• They are appointed by the government of the day with no consultation with the Opposition.
• The most powerful electoral body in the world has the most defective system of appointment.